Tanzania’s weatherman calls for precaution as Cyclone Hidaya intensifies
What you need to know:
- TMA says the trajectory of the weather systems at sea still indicates a high probability of cyclone ‘Hidaya’ maintaining its full cyclone status for the next 12 hours while escalating and continuing to approach the Tanzanian coast.
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) has urged residents in coastal regions to exercise utmost caution in light of the heightened intensity of Cyclone 'Hidaya.’
The caution also goes to all those involved in maritime activities in the ocean and other nearby water bodies.
The authority has also advised Tanzanians to continue monitoring and heeding weather forecasts as well as precautionary information from the weatherman.
Cyclone ‘Hidaya’ comes due to low pressure (a bad system), which is associated with strong winds and heavy rainfall.
A former tropical depression over the South Indian Ocean north-northeast of Comoros strengthened on Wednesday, and Meteo France La Reunion designated the system as Tropical Cyclone Hidaya.
A TMA statement issued on Friday, May 3, 2024, says the authority was tracking Cyclone ‘Hidaya’ on the Indian Ocean’s eastern coast of Tanzania, noting the hurricane has continued to intensify as it moves towards the coastal areas of the country.
“By 9:00 a.m. on May 3, 2024, it had further strengthened and reached the status of a full-fledged cyclone, approximately 401 kilometres east of the coast of Mtwara,” reads part of the statement.
TMA says the trajectory of the weather systems at sea still indicates a high probability of cyclone ‘Hidaya’ maintaining its full cyclone status for the next 12 hours while escalating and continuing to approach the Tanzanian coast.
The authority says the cyclone is expected to persist until May 6, 2024, and weaken thereafter.
TMA pledges to continue monitoring the movement of cyclone "Hidaya" and its effects on the weather systems and provide updates every three hours and as necessary.
A TMA statement issued on Thursday, May 2, 2024, says the presence of ‘Hidaya’ near the country's coast is expected to dominate and affect the weather systems of the country, including causing periods of heavy rain and strong winds in some regions.
“The regions include Mtwara, Lindi, and Coast (including the Mafia Islands), Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Morogoro, Ugunja, and Pemba regions and neighbouring areas,” reads part of the statement.
A TMA statement issued on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, says that there will be the presence of a minor low-pressure system in the eastern Indian Ocean off the coast of Mtwara.
