Blackout Strikes Tanzania as Cyclone Hidaya Hits, Kenya on Alert
Recent data suggests that Tropical Cyclone Hidaya has made landfall on the Tanzanian coast, prompting Kenyan authorities to raise a high alert.
Kenya Meteorological Department Director David Gikungu clarifies that landfall occurs when the storm’s center of circulation reaches the land.
“It will cause disruptions and is expected to weaken, though we are still closely tracking it and receiving updates from Tanzanian meteorological officials,” Gikungu stated.
As they maintain vigilant monitoring, KMD urged residents in coastal areas and those involved in maritime activities in the Indian Ocean to exercise extreme caution.
Intense rainfall is anticipated off the Kenyan coast starting on Sunday, May 5, and will peak from Monday, May 6, to Tuesday.
The cyclone’s impact is already noticeable offshore, with winds surpassing 40 knots (20.6 m/s) and waves over two meters high.
Fishing Activities Halted
Kenya has prohibited fishing, swimming, unnecessary transport, and other beach activities from May 4 to May 6 at midnight, which is expected to mark the end of the cyclone’s influence.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki declared a halt to all non-essential activities in Kenya’s territorial waters and along coastal beaches and nearby settlements.
“The government warns those involved in fishing, swimming, and recreation in Kenya’s territorial waters and the beaches of Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Lamu counties about potential risks to life and property in these areas,” stated Prof Kindiki.
If the cyclone hits Kenya, Prof Kindiki warned, it could bring heavy rain, strong winds, and powerful waves that may severely disrupt normal activities in Kenya’s territorial waters in the Indian Ocean and coastal communities.
“The County Security and Intelligence Committees (CSICs) of Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Lamu counties, in partnership with the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), are instructed to immediately issue warnings and enforce a ban on beach activities, fishing, swimming, non-essential transport within Kenya’s territorial waters, and evacuate settlements near the shore from May 4, 2024, at 5 pm until midnight on May 6, 2024, when Cyclone Hidaya is expected to dissipate,” announced Prof Kindiki.
Tanzanian Update
According to a statement from the Tanzania Meteorological Authority on Saturday, tropical cyclone Hidaya is near the Tanzanian coast and continues to dominate the weather in the region.
“Over the past 6 hours, heavy rain and strong winds have persisted. For example, weather stations in Mtwara, Kilwa, Zanzibar, and Dar es Salaam recorded winds exceeding 50 kilometers per hour at various times from last night to this morning.
Additionally, heavy rainfall was observed in the Mtwara and Lindi regions during this period, with Mtwara station reporting 75.5 millimeters of rain in 12 hours as of 9 pm last night.
This level of rainfall is significantly high, considering the average rainfall for May at the Mtwara station is just 54 millimeters.
So, the rain that fell at the Mtwara station within 12 hours is approximately 140% of the average May rainfall there,” the statement read.
The statement also mentioned that the cyclone is expected to continue approaching the Tanzanian coastal strip while gradually weakening by the night of Saturday, May 5, 2024.
KMD will keep providing updates as needed.
Blackout Strikes Tanzania as Cyclone Hidaya Hits, Kenya on Alert