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Cde Chimene

Obert Chifamba Manicaland Bureau
Communities in Manicaland Province have been warned to be always ready to evacuate in the face of violent weather conditions like wind storms, floods and hailstorms which are typical of seasons whose rainfall pattern is predicted to be normal to above normal. Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Cde Mandi Chimene issued the warning in Mutare yesterday in response to the Meteorological Services Department’s weather seasonal forecast of normal to above normal rains for the 2017 /2018 season.

“I appeal to communities to listen to Met Department’s warnings and people should move to protected areas when they are warned of approaching floods or storms. We have received word that the rain season is about to start, so we need to be prepared to deal with such disastrous situations should they come. If you are travelling, make sure you request neighbours to check on your children, property and even livestock in the event of such disasters,” she said. Cde Chimene said those close to urban centres in the province should feel free to approach her offices for advice, while those in remote areas should work with district administrators and the police for safety.

“The provincial disaster management team headed by the provincial administrator is always ready to come to the rescue of our people, so don’t hesitate to approach us. The most important thing is that you should be united and work together as communities to save lives, property and livestock among other important things. Warn your neighbours when you get wind of an approaching disaster and not just escape to safety quietly,” she said.

Manicaland provincial meteorological officer Mr Lucas Murambi said possibilities of flooding were high given that the forecast for the season hinted on a normal to above normal rainfall pattern.

“Normal rains for Manicaland Province differ with districts, but for areas such as Nyanga that are in the north of the province, seasonal rainfall amounts may reach as high as 1 800mm, while the average rainfall pattern can be around 800mm per annum,” he said.
“The average is calculated over a period of 30 to 40 years.” Mr Murambi said it was still too early to predict how the entire season would go, but chances of hailstorms, wind storms and flooding could not be ruled out. He said it was difficult to identify potential trouble areas, as the weather patterns were always changing.

“As the Met Department, we will this season work with some Government departments to distribute early warning radios in disaster-prone communities We have already started the process of identifying such areas with the help of district administrators. We will also be issuing 10-day and weekly weather forecasts throughout the season for the benefit of the communities, so people should also listen to them carefully as they give a picture of the approaching weather conditions. These are short range forecasts and they are usually accurate,” said Mr Murambi.