The weather has not been forgiving for our brother and sisters living Mozambique. The state continues to experience the wrath of Cyclone Kenneth, which has been named the first tropical cyclone with power equivalent to that of a hurricane. The cyclone, which has been captured by several satellite images, is the first disaster of its kind to hit the northern province of Mozambique called Cabo Delgado in more than half a century.
According to AccuWeather, the Kenneth struck the named province about 62 km north of Pemba earlier today. The cyclone was marked by up to 10 minutes of sustained winds of about 200 km/hr, which is equivalent to Category 4 hurricane in the oceans.
Category 4 Cyclone #Kenneth slammed into northern #Mozambique and made landfall. @NOAASatellites indicates that this is the first (& strongest) hurricane-strength storm to impact Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Province. https://t.co/qGdHTcDE3G pic.twitter.com/BOyyHRnRd0
— UW-Madison CIMSS (@UWCIMSS) April 25, 2019
Tropical Airmass RGB Composite Satellite Image of #CycloneKenneth with a well defined eye, this severe storm is expected to make landfall in Northern #Mozambique this evening. Our thought and prayers are with the people of Mozambique. #cyclone pic.twitter.com/qWQc1kFxxx
— Your Weather🌩️by AfriWX (@afriwx) April 25, 2019
Tropical Cyclone #Kenneth 🌀has now intensified to category 4 hurricane strength after passing #Comoros 🇰🇲 and is heading for north #Mozambique 🇲🇿landfall in around 16 hours time #CycloneKenneth pic.twitter.com/OdG3CBwSlW
— YouStorm (@YouStormorg) April 25, 2019
Local weather and climate institutions have released more information about the activities of Cyclone Kenneth in Kenya. The Kenya Mete Department, for instance, announced that earlier fears that the cyclone had hit the Kenyan coast were false.
It is FALSE that cyclone Kenneth will hit the Kenyan Coast. By the laws of physics, Cyclones cannot come this close to the equator. Landfall will be northern Mozambique as shown in the satellite image. pic.twitter.com/xuYRgfbDCA
— Kenya Met Department 🇰🇪 (@MeteoKenya) April 25, 2019
“However we may experience the effects of the cyclone in the form of enhanced rainfall over parts of Isiolo, Western Kenya , Samburu and including Nairobi. Stay with us for updates as the cyclone evolves,” reads a statement from the Department.
Nevertheless, it is projected that the cyclone will have some effect in Tanzania, particularly in Mtwara region. Earlier today, the Tanzania Government closed businesses and schools around the region for safety purposes.
TANZANIA ORDERS schools, businesses closed in Mtwara region with Cyclone Kenneth set to make landfall tonight; locals leaving for safer ground. pic.twitter.com/ntbzbI6atp
— Nation Breaking News (@NationBreaking) April 25, 2019
Schools in Tanzania shut amid cyclone fears, and Mozambique is bracing itself for another tropical storm.
Follow the latest updates on #CycloneKenneth on our live page here ➡️: https://t.co/mjuoDkrBmL pic.twitter.com/bYVEDeHMMj
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) April 25, 2019
Tanzanians flee Mtwara region as Cyclone Kenneth nears
Link: https://t.co/ZvWeTwMMmi pic.twitter.com/lDGm06QHtz
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) April 25, 2019
People at Pemba experienced the wrath of the disaster as well, which was marked by strong winds and very heavy rainfall.
The beginning. #CycloneKenneth arrived in Pemba. Friends just sent us this video. #Mozambique pic.twitter.com/pVAxAbAF1g
— SolidarMed (@SolidarMed) April 25, 2019
Tens of weather institutions have visualized Cyclone Kenneth via satellite photos. Here some of the images that have since been posted.
Weather Underground
Just weeks after catastrophic #Idai, fast-strengthening Tropical Cyclone #Kenneth is on track to slam #Mozambique with high winds and torrential rains. (Image courtesy CIMSS/SSEC/UW/Madison.) https://t.co/pM63dRwHGF pic.twitter.com/inHNOPNtyd
— Weather Underground (@wunderground) April 23, 2019
eNCAWaeather
https://twitter.com/eNCAWeather/status/1121018560711667712
The Weather Channel
#Tropical Cyclone #Kenneth may become the northernmost hurricane-strength landfall on record in southern Africa Thursday, another devastating blow for Mozambique just weeks after #Idai. @wunderground Cat. 6 blog: https://t.co/uPRWJ17Jv2 pic.twitter.com/wOmb44aQs3
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) April 24, 2019
WMO/OMM
"Extremely dangerous" #CycloneKenneth threatens northern #Mozambique. Landfall near city of Pemba later Thursday. Destructive winds, storm surge of between 3 and 5m, heavy rainfall and flooding," warns WMO regional cyclone centre @meteofrance La Reunion https://t.co/P2y0g1zNZm pic.twitter.com/D2XerP86iO
— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) April 25, 2019
BBC Weather
Tropical Cyclone #Kenneth will make landfall in northern #Mozambique later today. Winds of 125mph (200km/h) are expected, along with up to a metre of rain and coastal flooding. Severe damage is likely. pic.twitter.com/J3zy0UszAI
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) April 25, 2019
Guateng Weather
🌀AFRICA: POSSIBLY STRONGEST-EVER CYCLONE TO HIT EAST COAST OF AFRICA makes landfall TONIGHT!
📍AFFECTED AREA: Northern 🇲🇿, southern 🇹🇿
⚠️#CycloneKenneth THREATS:
⛈800mm rain
🌊Flooding & landslides possible
🌬Winds of up to 215km/h🚨Another humanitarian catastrophe looms 😭 pic.twitter.com/0QP60C35H2
— Gauteng Weather (@tWeatherSA) April 25, 2019
Meteo World
#CycloneKenneth nears the coast of #Mozambique at the moment at a severe equivalent category 4 hurricane! 1 meter of rain expected with damaging winds and, a 5 meter storm surge! Catastrophic flooding expected! #SevereWeather #extremeweather #Flood pic.twitter.com/b55kSCY6UG
— WEATHER/ METEO WORLD (@StormchaserUKEU) April 25, 2019
Kenya Situation
While the Kenya Meteorological Department has assured locals that Cyclone Kenneth will not hit the country, it has since warned people to expect heavy rainfalls later on tonight that will culminate from the effects of the rapidly rotating storm.
