Africa-Press. Residents of the coastal city of Inhambane in Mozambique have reinforced their homes with sandbags and metal sheets in preparation for the potentially destructive impacts of Cyclone Gezani, which is expected to affect the area.
The tropical cyclone swept across Madagascar earlier last week, killing at least 40 people and causing severe damage in Toamasina, the island’s second-largest city on the Indian Ocean.
Mozambique has repeatedly been hit by weather-related disasters that scientists say have been intensified by climate change. The southern African country is still recovering from major floods that have affected more than 700,000 people and damaged over 170,000 homes in recent weeks, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Mozambique’s meteorological center expects Cyclone Gezani to pass near Inhambane before returning to the Mozambique Channel. Inhambane residents are placing sandbags on rooftops in an effort to prevent them from being blown off by strong winds, and are covering windows with corrugated metal sheets. Local authorities have imposed restrictions on maritime navigation, and fishermen are staying at home.
