MAPUTO: Cyclone Dineo killed seven people, injured 55 and affected hundreds of thousands across southern Mozambique, the country's natural disasters agency said on Friday (Feb 17).

More than 20,000 homes were destroyed by "winds and very strong rain", the National Institute of Disaster Management said, adding that the search for survivors is ongoing.

The storm has affected more than 650,000 people in the southeastern African country. Dineo's impact was greatest in Inhambane, an area popular with tourists on Mozambique's south east coast.

The city was struck by winds of more than 100 kilometres per hour and battered by torrential rain and rough seas. Nearly 1,000 classrooms and 70 health centres were destroyed.

Mozambique, one of the world's poorest countries, is often battered by deadly flooding and storms.

In 2000, floods claimed at least 800 lives, and more than 100 were killed in 2015.

Scores have already died in the current rainy season, which began in October.

Dineo was downgraded to a tropical depression on Thursday and renamed "ex-Dineo".

The South Africa Weather Service warned that the storm still posed a threat of heavy rainfall and flooding as it headed inland into South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana on Friday.

Kruger National Park, the country's premier safari destination, closed its gravel roads and several camps because of the storm. No major damage was reported. </s> MAPUTO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Tropical storm Dineo has killed seven people in Mozambique since it hit the eastern coast on Wednesday, the government disaster centre said on Thursday.

Mozambique's emergency operational centre said in a statement about 130,000 people living in the Inhambane province, 500 km north of the capital Maputo, had been affected by the storm. About 20,000 homes were destroyed by heavy rains and fierce winds.

The government said the situation was less severe in Gaza, which borders South Africa, but that there were fears of flooding in the area. (Reporting by Manuel Mucari; Editng by Angus MacSwan; Writing by Mfuneko Toyana) </s> At least four people, including one child, have been killed in Mozambique by a tropical cyclone known as Dineo. Local media said the child, whose age was not disclosed, was killed after being crushed by a tree that had fallen over.

The incident occurred in Massinga, in the province of Inhambane, southern Mozambique, on Wednesday (15 February) night. The town was hit by winds in excess of 100 kmh (62mph) and heavy rains, according to South African Weather Service (SAWS).

"Strong winds exceeding 100km/h as well as torrential rainfall and very rough seas were most likely the main weather-related impacts," SAWS chief forecaster Kevin Rae said.

Dineo has now been downgraded from tropical cyclone to a tropical depression, with strong winds dying down. The tropical depression is being labelled "ex-Dineo".

In South Africa, a search and rescue unit was deployed in the northern part of the KwaZulu-Natal province – near the border with Mozambique – as a precautionary measure, The Times Lives website reported.

KwaZulu-Natal alongside two other South Africa provinces – Mpumalanga and Limpopo – and Zimbabwe are expected to be hit by rains and winds on 16 February. </s> Seven people have died in Mozambique after a tropical cyclone swept inland leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

According to officials the Cyclone Dineo made landfall on the country's southern coast late on Wednesday leaving thousands of homes destroyed, power lines downed and roads blocked.

In Inhambane - the worst hit province - emergency officials are reportedly providing food and tents to families in need after their homes were destroyed.

Humanitarian aid networks, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said they have been providing assistance in the aftermath of the cyclone. </s> JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Officials in Mozambique say seven people died and thousands of homes were destroyed in a tropical cyclone.

Parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe are anticipating high winds and heavy rain on Friday after cyclone Dineo hit southern Mozambique late Wednesday and swept inland. It was later downgraded to a tropical storm.

Emergency officials in Mozambique are reporting downed power lines and blocked roads in Inhambane, the province that suffered the worst impact. They say food and tents are being provided to families in need. </s> Seven people have died in Mozambique after a tropical cyclone swept inland leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

According to officials the Cyclone Dineo made landfall on the country's southern coast late on Wednesday leaving thousands of homes destroyed, power lines downed and roads blocked.

In Inhambane - the worst hit province - emergency officials are reportedly providing food and tents to families in need after their homes were destroyed.

Humanitarian aid networks, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said they have been providing assistance in the aftermath of the cyclone.

The cyclone has since been downgraded to a tropical storm but the national weather service has issued warnings for continuing damaging winds and flooding. </s> JOHANNESBURG - Officials in Mozambique say seven people died and thousands of homes were destroyed in a tropical cyclone.

 

 Parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe are anticipating high winds and heavy rain on Friday after cyclone Dineo hit southern Mozambique late Wednesday and swept inland. It was later downgraded to a tropical storm.

 

 Emergency officials in Mozambique are reporting downed power lines and blocked roads in Inhambane, the province that suffered the worst impact. They say food and tents are being provided to families in need.

Follow the Channel 3 Weather Team on Twitter @wkycweather and on Facebook

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Tropical storm Dineo has killed seven people in Mozambique since it hit the eastern coast on Wednesday, the government's disaster centre said Thursday.

The storm has brought heavy rain and winds of up to 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), raising the risk of flooding and crop damage in the impoverished southern African country.

Mozambique's emergency operational centre said in a statement about 130,000 people living in the Inhambane province, 500km north of the capital Maputo, had been affected by the storm. About 20,000 homes were destroyed by heavy rains and fierce winds.

One of the world's poorest countries and also in the throes of a financial crisis, Mozambique is prone to flooding. It is especially vulnerable after a major drought last year as soils degraded or hardened by dry spells do not easily absorb water.

"The system will pose a great risk for the next 36 to 48 hours, particularly in terms of further exceptionally heavy rainfall and resultant flooding," the South African Weather Service said in a statement.

The Mozambican government said the situation was less severe in Gaza, which has the popular resort town of Xai-Xai as its capital and is near the border with South Africa.

Government said, however, that it feared flooding in the area due to the torrential downpour.

Experts said the storm should weaken as it moves over land, but that it could still bring heavy rainfall.

Damage could be inflicted on Mozambique's multi-million dollar macadamia nut industry. Subsistence maize farmers recovering from last year's El Nino-triggered drought are also at risk.

Floods in 2000 and 2001 killed hundreds of people in Mozambique and two cyclones in January 2012 killed 26 and displaced more than 125,000, according to official data. </s> Cyclone Idai may have killed 1,000 people in Mozambique, says country's president

Cyclone Idai may have killed 1,000 people in Mozambique, says country's president

Four days after Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique, there are fears it may have killed more than 1,000 people in the country.

It is thought to have been the most destructive storm to have hit the southeast African nation in more than 10 years.

Widespread flooding has left whole villages submerged and bodies were floating in the water, as some areas were completely cut off by road.

Mozambique's president Filipe Nyusi said the official number of dead was 84 but added "it appears that we can register more than 1,000 deaths".

He also said it was a "real disaster of great proportions".

"The waters of the Pungue and Buzi rivers overflowed, making whole villages disappear and isolating communities, and bodies are floating," he said.

President Nyusi spoke after flying over the central port city of Beira and the rural provinces of Manica and Sofala, where there was severe flooding.

According to the Red Cross, 90% of Beira, which has 500,000 inhabitants, has been damaged or destroyed.

Jamie LeSueur, who led a Red Cross aerial assessment of the city, said the damage was "massive and horrifying".

"The situation is terrible," he said. "The scale of devastation is enormous."

"Communication lines have been completely cut and roads have been destroyed. Some affected communities are not accessible."

Mozambique was hit last Thursday before the cyclone moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi.

More than 215 people have been killed by the storm in the three countries, including 89 in Zimbabwe, official figures show. And hundreds more were reported missing.

In Zimbabwe's Chimanimani district, rescuers were struggling to reach people cut off after torrential rains and winds up to 105mph swept away roads, homes and bridges and knocked out power lines.

UN agencies and the Red Cross have been helping with the rescue efforts that included delivering food and medicine by helicopter in the impoverished countries.

Mozambique is a long, narrow nation with a population of 30 million people, and has a 1,500-mile coastline along the Indian Ocean.

This time of year, it is prone to cyclones and tropical storms, and was struck by severe flooding from Cyclone Eline in February 2000.

That storm killed 350 people and made 650,000 homeless across southern Africa, including Zimbabwe. </s> Fidelis Munyoro Chief Reporter—

 Another tropical cyclone is brewing east of Madagascar and is likely to affect Zimbabwe mid this month, the Meteorological Services Department has warned. A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating, low-pressure storm system characterised by very strong winds, thunderstorms and torrential rains. Depending on its location and strength, a tropical cyclone is referred to by names such as hurricane, typhoon, tropical storm, cyclonic storm, tropical depression, and simply cyclone.

A hurricane is a storm that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and north-eastern Pacific Ocean, a typhoon occurs in the north-western Pacific Ocean, and a cyclone occurs in the south Pacific or Indian Ocean.

Senior meteorologist Mr John Mupuro said indications were that a tropical cyclone had formed east of Madagascar and was likely to affect Zimbabwe if it enters the Mozambican channel (the part of the Indian ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar).

“We are monitoring the development,” said Mr Mupuro.

The Met department also predicted a wet weekend and less rainfall starting from Monday for a limited number of days.

This comes against the backdrop of Cyclone Dineo that resulted in floods that affected nearly all parts of the country, killing 246 people.

At least 128 people were injured, while 1 576 were marooned. The floods left 1 985 others homeless and damaged 74 schools, leaving 70 dams breached and five health institutions damaged.

Government has since launched an international humanitarian appeal.

The appeal for assistance came after President Mugabe declared the floods a state of disaster that left a trail of destruction which needs $100 million to repair.

Cyclone Dineo hit Zimbabwe over the past few weeks, resulting in damaging floods in the southern parts of the country, where rivers burst their banks, sweeping away crops and livestock leaving thousands homeless.

Cyclone Dineo worsened flooding that was experienced in Matabeleland last month due to torrential rains that pounded the southern parts of the country.

Air Force of Zimbabwe helicopters had to be dispatched to Tsholotsho to rescue flood victims as the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) reacted swiftly to the disaster where hundreds were displaced.

Zimbabwe has over the years been prone to cyclones, with Cyclone Eline in 2000 killing almost 136 people and destroying an estimated 59 184 houses.

The cyclone also killed 20 000 livestock and damaged 230 dams, 538 schools, 54 clinics and 14 999 toilets. Communities have battled to recover from the cyclone, 17 years after the devastating floods.

Cyclone Eline remains the worst cyclone in 50 years that lasted from February 9 to March 2, 2000, leaving a trail of destruction in most parts of the country.
Cyclone Dineo kills seven and destroys twenty-thousand homes in Mozambique.