Zimbabwe floods warning

Zimbabwe floods warning

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By Lebo Nkatazo

ZIMBABWE’S Meteorological Office on Monday warned that floods that ravaged nearly 20 African countries last week would hit the country in the coming rainy season.

Met Office director Amos Makarau told the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Communications that areas expected to be hit include Muzarabani, Tsholotsho and areas near the Limpopo province.

“We are expecting normal to above normal rainfall. We are compiling new data that would be taken to cabinet this week,” Makarau said.

He explained that his office wanted to conduct cloud seeding, which he said reduces the impact of floods, but it was short on funds.

“We requested $100 billion in the budget to go towards cloud seeding but we were only given $41 billion,” he added.

Committee chairperson Leo Mugabe said the office should produce statistics on estimated rainfall in the affected areas for purposes of possible evacuation before the floods begin.

Last week a United Nations (UN) spokesperson said 17 countries in West, Central and East Africa had been affected by the floods.

The spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said: "The rains are set to continue and we are really concerned because a lot of people are homeless and infectious diseases could emerge.

"Some of the poorest countries, like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger - the poorest nation in the world - re badly affected."
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