Africa-Press – Tanzania. Dar es Salaam: THE government has directed the Regional Commissioners (RCs) to ensure that citizens have timely access to daily weather forecast information to enable them to take precautionary measures against the damages which may be caused by the ongoing torrential rains in the country.
According to a statement issued yesterday by the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG), the RCs are required to ensure that the weather forecast information reaches Wananchi timely up to the hamlet level so that they can be prepared of possible impacts especially during this season when most parts of the country experience rain above average.
In particular, Minister of State in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government) Mr Mohamed Mchengerwa (pictured) also directed both regional and LGAs secretariats to provide guidance to the citizens, especially those living in areas affected by rains in order to take safety precautions.
“All regional secretariat leaders and Local Government Authorities should advise citizens, particularly those residing in areas impacted by rains, to take all necessary safety precautions,’ the minister said in the statement.
Mr Mchengerwa also encouraged parents and guardians to be careful and take safety precautions for students going to and from schools especially in areas affected by rains.
Mr Mchengerwa urged parents and guardians to exercise caution and take safety measures when sending their children to and from school, particularly in areas that may experience heavy rains.
In a related development, the minister said the government is continuing to make efforts to restore the infrastructures damaged by the ongoing rains to allow citizens to carry on with their regular economic activities.
The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) had warned of a heavy downpour in eight regions for three consecutive days from Monday this week. The regions are Morogoro, Lindi, Mtwara, Iringa, Mbeya, Songwe, Njombe and Ruvuma.
“Expected impacts are localized floods over few areas and disruption of some economic activities,” the TMA said in the statement issued on Monday evening over the weather forecast report for five days in a week.
But most parts of the country have already been experiencing heavy rains since November last year.
TMA had forecasted that 14 regions in the country would be receiving normal to above normal rainfall during the rainy season from November 2023 to April 2024.
In its weather forecast report for this season last November, TMA said the torrential rains could lead to excessive soil moisture, flooding and crop damage.
Also read: TMA: Brace for another five-day heavy rains
The affected regions include the southern part of Morogoro, Iringa, Lindi, Singida and Dodoma; the northern part of Kigoma, Rukwa and Tabora; and Njombe, Songwe, Rukwa, Mbeya and the northern part of Katavi.
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