Southern Africa – Tropical Cyclone Chido – Flash Update No. 2, As of 14 December 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

As of 14 December, the intense Tropical Cyclone Chido has hit Mayotte and the Comoros. Tropical Cyclone Chido is forecast to bring strong winds and very heavy rains, which could lead to flooding and mudslides. About 2.5 million people live in Chido’s projected path, including more than 1.7 million people in Mozambique, 440,000 people in Malawi and nearly 370,000 people in the Comoros. On 13 December, Chido passed nearby the north of Madagascar. No damages or causalities have been reported so far and the cyclone warnings were lifted along the north-west coast. However, weather conditions will remain temporarily unsettled today. The assessment of the impact is currently being conducted by the Malagasy authorities. Regional and national authorities are issuing advisories, continuing preparedness efforts, and conducting loss and damage assessments in the affected countries.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Tropical Cyclone Chido is forecast to bring strong winds and very heavy rains, which could lead to flooding and mudslides in Southern Africa. About 2.5 million people live in Chido’s projected path, including more than 1.7 million people in Mozambique, 440,000 people in Malawi and nearly 370,000 people in the Comoros, according to the Automated Disaster Analysis and Mapping (Adam) by WFP.

As of 14 December, the intense Tropical Cyclone Chido has hit Mayotte. It has brought strong wind and heavy rains generating flooding as well as dangerous sea conditions. These devastating wind conditions are exceptional and exceed the intensity of Tropical Kamisy (1984) and can be comparable to historical cyclones such as that of 1934. A fairly rapid improvement in Mayotte in weather conditions is expected from the end of the afternoon as the cyclone moves away to the west. On 13 December, Chido passed nearby the north of Madagascar. No damages or causalities have been reported so far and all hurricane warnings have been lifted. However, maritime navigation remains prohibited for sea users in the northern and north-western parts of the island due to rough seas.

Chido will remain a particularly dangerous intense tropical cyclone over the next 24 hours as it crosses the northern Mozambique Channel. In addition to Mayotte, it passes south of the Comoros today 14 December and is expected to land in northern Mozambique on 15 December.

In the Comoros, Chido has impacted the islands of Anjouan, Mwali, and Ngazidja, bringing strong winds and heavy rains. In Anjouan, five houses were reportedly destroyed, with additional damage to mosques, other houses and poultry coops. Many people have relocated to host families. In Mwali, no major damage has been reported. In Ngazidja, 11 fishermen who have been missing at sea for two days are still being searched for as of 3:00 p.m. local time on 14 December, according to the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Civile (DGSC).

In Mozambique, Chido is expected to land in the south of Cabo Delgado Province near the border with Nampula Province, close to the south of Pemba. Damaging winds and dangerous seas are expected on the coast from the night of 14 December to 15 December. Heavy rains will also affect the coastal provinces, gradually progressing into the interior provinces (Niassa, Tete and Zambezia). Storm and hurricane are possible, rainfalls of 100 to 200mm in 12 to 24h, andhigh to very high seas (waves around 6 to 10m) are expected, according to Southern African Development Community (SADC) Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC) as of 14 December. The remnants of Chido are also expected to affect southern Malawi from 15 to 16 December, bringing significant rain and strong wind gusts to the terrain. The system is expected to gradually dissipate on 17 December in the southern African interior near Zimbabwe.

Heavy rainfall associated with Cyclone Chido, exceeding 150 mm over 10 days, is forecast for northern Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Additionally, parts of Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Eswatini, Tanzania and South Africa are also expected to experience significant rainfall due to other weather systems. This rainfall may potentially lead to flash floods and mudslides.

Between 7 and 8 December, Tropical depression Chido developed in the south-eastern Indian Ocean Basin, progressing westward. On 10 December, Chido strengthened reaching the stage of Tropical Cyclone Category 4 (severe typhoon category) but weakened again to Category 3 on 13 December. It passed close to the north of Madagascar on 12 December, then near Glorioso.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Regional and national authorities are issuing advisories, continuing preparedness efforts, and conducting loss and damage assessments in the affected countries.

SHOC has activated its situation room and is issuing daily updates starting from 14 December. This includes monitoring official weather updates and impact-based forecasting. Also, SHOC circulated recommendations among its Member States. This includes closely monitoring official weather updates from their national meteorological centres and relevant authorities, intensifying public awareness and sensitization campaigns, particularly for those areas at high risk, ensuring the prepositioning of relief supplies (food, water, shelter materials, etc.) in strategic locations to enable a swift response, facilitating information sharing and ensuring alignment of contingency plans to optimize the regional response, collaborating with humanitarian partners to conduct rapid needs assessments, advocating for the inclusion of protection services in relief efforts, share feedback to optimize transboundary early warning system coordination.

In the Comoros, the National Meteorological Service has issued the cyclone warning alert, code orange, starting 13 December at 10.00 p.m. On 13 December, DGSC decreed the official activation of the Cyclone- induced Flood Rescue Plan and the national emergency operational centre and is monitoring the situation. The Comorian Red Cross in Anjouan and Moheli are confined during the cyclone’s passing. Residents are advised to follow the evolution of the forecasts through their national meteorological service. A gradual improvement is expected on 15 December. The airport was closed from 13 to 16 December.

In Mozambique, the national meteorological service has issued red alerts for the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Napula and recommended that all people should take precautionary and safety measures. The Mozambiquan Red Cross Society and WFP are implementing anticipatory actions following the activation by the Government-led Technical Council for Disaster Management for the two pilot districts of Mogincual and Angoche (Nampula province). Partners conducted an assessment mission in Cabo Delgado,visiting accommodation sites to provide inputs in the updated list of accommodation centres. Humanitarian partners are continuing to preposition stocks as well as prepare for an eventual Multi-Sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA). OCHA Mozambique will organize a refresher session on the MIRA for humanitarian partners.

Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters

Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox

Success!

Almost finished…

We need to confirm your email address.

To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you.

Error!

There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

In Malawi, the department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) issued an impact-based warning for 15 southern districts expected to be in the path of Chido. Some districts are forecast to receive significant impact, including 24 hours rainfall exceeding 50mm, with possibilities of flash floods, strong winds and infrastructure damage. The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) is convening daily meetings. During the meeting on 14 December, it was agreed that a centralised Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) will be set-up in Blantyre and will be operational from 15 December. The Government has activated the district response coordination mechanism to scale up the preparedness efforts at the district-level. All response sectors, including the drone team, have been activated and are in progress of prepositioning key response stocks in strategic areas in southern Malawi.

In Madagascar, as the cyclone warnings were lifted along the north-west coast, weather conditions will remain temporarily unsettled today. The assessment of the impact is currently being conducted by the Malagasy authorities.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
To learn more about OCHA’s activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.

ADVERTISEMENT