Cyclone Dineo has disaster teams on alert
DISASTER management teams are at the ready as tropical cyclone Dineo – yesterday upgraded to a severe storm – prepares to make landfall on Friday.
The low-pressure system was expected to bring with it heavy rainfall, flooding and possibly wind damage to the southern parts of Mozambique, parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and the northern reaches of KwaZulu-Natal.
Nasa reported the formation of the tropical cyclone on Monday and said it was the fifth tropical cyclone of the Southern Indian Ocean season formed this week.
KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the department “always” had a plan in place, complete with disaster management responders.
By Saturday, the remnants of Dineo were expected to drift into Botswana, and showers were expected to continue over Limpopo.
The South African Weather Service said in a statement that the tropical cyclone season in southern Africa was from November to April, with the peak frequency in January and February.
“Only tropical cyclones moving into the Mozambique Channel influence South Africa’s weather. When this happens, we usually experience dry weather over the interior because of the subsiding air surrounding a tropical cyclone. Only a few move in over or close enough to the land to cause destruction, and then usually north of the 25°S latitude.”
In such cases, they said, North West, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal might experience destructive winds and the risk of flooding.”
Tropical cyclones that caused significant damage included Domoina, which occurred in January 1984; Imboa in February 1984; and more recently Eline in February 2000. “Although the track of a tropical cyclone is erratic, (we) can still issue timely warnings to the public if a tropical cyclone is approaching densely populated areas.”