4 killed after storm Ana hits Mozambique, Malawi

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At least four people have died and dozens are missing after strong winds and heavy downpours wreaked havoc in Malawi and Mozambique as Tropical Storm Ana made landfall on Monday.

Almost 16,000 people in the south of Malawi have been affected, according to the Red Cross, as search and rescue operations continue after the first cyclone of the region’s season, reports The Guardian.

At least two people were killed and 66 injured in Mozambique on Monday and a further two people died on Tuesday in Malawi.

According to Reuters reports, the storm triggered major power cuts in Malawi, with its electricity generation company EGENCO saying that as of 1800 local time (1600 GMT) on Tuesday only 30% of the country’s installed capacity was available.

The Kapichira hydropower station in particular was badly damaged, with EGENCO saying in a statement that the intake dam structure had been partly washed away during flash floods.

Mozambique and other southern African countries have been repeatedly struck by severe storms and cyclones in recent years that have destroyed infrastructure and displaced large numbers of people.

Experts say the storms have become stronger as waters have warmed due to climate change, while rising sea levels have made low-lying coastal areas vulnerable.

Mozambique’s disaster institute estimated that as many as 500,000 people could be affected by Ana, although the weather institute said it had weakened from a “moderate tropical storm” into a “tropical depression”.

The World Food Programme (WFP) told Reuters one of its main concerns was that heavy rainfall and flooding during the agriculture season could lead to harvests being lost, causing a substantial rise in food prices.

“Ana marks the beginning of the South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, … according to forecasts more intense weather events can be expected in the next few months,” WFP said, adding it was ready to provide food to affected people and logistics support for rescue and relief operations.