DURBAN - Tropical storm Gombe is currently located near the border between Mozambique and Malawi.
Météo-France, a meteorological service, said on Sunday afternoon that the depression over land had broken down well along its land course and the centre of low pressure is located near the border between Mozambique and Malawi this afternoon.
“This system could return to the waters of the central Mozambique Channel on Monday or Tuesday,” Météo-France said.
“There is then a low risk, a 10-30% probability, that this system will become a tropical storm again from Wednesday. Until then, heavy stormy rains, eventually giving substantial accumulations, will continue over southern Malawi and the Zambezi province in Mozambique.”
Météo-France said that in the Australian zone, a low pressure has the potential to develop into a tropical storm from Tuesday with a risk estimated at 20-50% by our colleagues from the Australian meteorological service, then greater than 50% from Wednesday. On a generally westerly trajectory, this system could enter our area of responsibility on Wednesday or Thursday with only a moderate risk, a probability close to 30%, that it is still a tropical storm at this time.
It said there was no significant low-pressure system currently present over the South-West Indian Ocean.
It added that suspicious areas were also present and there was a risk of formation of other moderate tropical storms for the next five days.
The South African Weather Service (Saws) said Gombe had made landfall in northern Mozambique on Friday. It was then situated over the eastern parts of Nampula province.
Gombe was expected to weaken as it tracked further westwards. It was then forecast to turn south-eastwards before reaching Malawi and head back into the Mozambique Channel on Sunday, at which point it will re-intensify.
“At this stage, there is still some uncertainty with the exact track Gombe will take, however, the most likely projection is that it will remain in a south-easterly trajectory. As such, it poses no immediate, direct threat to South Africa,” Saws said.
The United Nations in Mozambique said Gombe hit Nampula with severe rains, winds and flooding.
It was expected to affect 500 000 people, 600 health centres and 7 000 schools.
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