Mozambican authorities were preparing for tropical cyclone Freddy on Thursday, which was expected to make landfall in the southern African country on Friday after claiming four lives in Madagascar.
Tropical cyclone Freddy struck southeastern Madagascar on Tuesday with strong winds of up to 180 kph (110mph), flooding the area and destroying houses.
In a statement, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian (OCHA) said, Freddy was forecasted to make a landfall between Govuro and Vilankulos districts in the Mozambican province of Inhambane on February 24 as tropical storm after moving across Mozambican Channel.
According to OCHA, around 400,000 people inhabit the forecasted trajectory of Freddy and could possibly be affected by expected heavy rainfall and floods.
The Mozambican government declared a “red alert” on Tuesday, in the midst of a struggle against extensive flooding and heavy rain in the past days, to deploy and accelerate response operations in dealing with the storm.
On Wednesday, the government had said its National Institute for Disaster Management had organized rescue teams, food supplies, tents and boats to aid people in the province that might possibly get affected by the storm.
