At least nine people have died and many gone missing on Saturday after Tropical Cyclone Eloise hit Mozambique bringing rain and powerful winds of around 130 kilometers per hour.
Now identified as a category 2 tropical cyclone, most of Eloise’s victims died in the worst-hit port city of Beira, most of them killed by collapsing buildings and falling trees.
The South African Weather Service on Sunday warned residents in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo
Mpumalanga to expect flash floods and heavy winds as tropical cyclone Eloise made its way inland.
Property was damaged due to flooding in Mozambique’s coastal city of Beira when the cyclone hit the country on Saturday.
Beira, Mozambique’s second largest city was devastated by Cyclone Idai less than two years ago.
Power utility EDM said power supplies were shut down as the cyclone uprooted some electricity poles thereby damaging power lines.
Also walls around low-lying buildings collapsed, swaths of land were flooded and vehicles were submerged in water in Beira.
South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Eswatini have also been impacted by the recent rains.
Forecaster Lulamo Pheme said while the cyclone had since lost its strength, the level nine alert for possible disruptive rains remained.
The KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Department has advised communities in Jozini, Mtubatuba, Ulundi and Umlalazi areas and its surroundings to be vigilant over the stormy weather.
Cogta spokesperson, Nonala Ndlovu, said
“We are trying as hard as we can to make sure that people predicted to be on the path on that storm are moved.
Those who can be moved so that when the storm hits, they are not severely affected”
Cyclone Eloise originated close to Madagascar where, there was at least one death, swamped settlements and displacements.