"We Are Expecting Five Cyclones" - MSD

Five cyclones are expected to reach Zimbabwe in the current rainy season, the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) said.

Speaking during the National Tobacco Workshop, an agriculture meteorologist at the MSD, Benjamin Kwenda, said there are no predictions of when, where they could strike, and their strengths. The Herald cites him as saying: 

This season we are anticipating an increase in cyclone activity in January, February, March up to April but in terms of projections we are expecting five cyclones.

The tropical cyclone is just like a whirlwind so when the whirlwind is generated you are not able to pick where exactly it will go but as it grows bigger you will then able to pick the direction and then you can actually say this is where it is going.

Zimbabwe is still reeling from the effects of Cyclones Idai, Gombe, Batsirai, Ana, Eloise, and Chalane which hit the southern African country in recent years.

Meanwhile, the Met Department was expecting rains into next week. There would be a rainfall decline up to Wednesday next week, with some places experiencing sunny conditions. Kwenda added:

For the period December, January and February we are expecting the bulk of the country to receive normal to above normal rainfall in this season and this is the same that we are expecting in January, February and March. We are generally looking for a better season in terms of seasonal totals.

The Met Department urged farmers to insure their crops as there are high chances of more frequent extremes, such as hailstorms.

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