DAR ES SALAAM, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's weather authorities declared on Friday that the country's southern regions were now spared from threats of Tropical Cyclone Kenneth after it had shifted southwards from the Indian Ocean and made landfall on mainland Mozambique.
Agnes Kijazi, the Director General of the Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA), said the Cyclone which was expected to hit Indian Ocean coastal regions of Mtwara and Lindi on Thursday afternoon made landfall on mainland Mozambique on Wednesday evening.
"The two southern regions are now spared from the threats of the Cyclone but I am still appealing to relevant authorities and the public to continue taking protective measures," she said in a live interview with state-owned Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC).
Kijazi said prior to making landfall in Mozambique, Tropical Cyclone Kenneth passed through the Comoros, hitting the northern Ngazidja Island where it reportedly caused extensive damage to houses.
She thanked authorities, non-governmental organizations and members of the public for heeding to advisory alerts issued by the weather agency.
However, Kijazi said authorities and members of the public in areas that were expected to be hit by the Cyclone should not relax.
"They should continue to be on alert because the Cyclone could retreat to the ocean in a week or two with vengeance," she said.
She said the Cyclone was forecasted to bring heavy rains, with over 500mm of rainfall expected from April 25 through April 30, adding: "There is a high risk of flash flooding and landslides."
Kijazi said an increase in cloud formation was already being witnessed, and an increase of rain was expected in Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Pemba, Lindi and Mtwara regions, the south coast of the country and around Lake Victoria.
On Thursday, the Tanzanian government directed authorities in Mtwara and Lindi regions to suspend air and marine transport in the Indian Ocean as safety measures against the Tropical Cyclone Kenneth.
Jenista Mhagama, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labor, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, made the directive in the National Assembly in the capital Dodoma.
"Authorities in Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma regions should also suspend fishing activities in the ocean pending weather updates from relevant weather agencies," she told the august House.
Mhagama also directed authorities to shift people from coastal areas of the Indian Ocean to higher ground to avoid catastrophic situations.
On Thursday, Mtwara region authorities directed that schools and offices remain closed after the country's weather agency had reported the possibility of landfall Tropical Cyclone Kenneth.
Gelasius Byakanwa, Mtwara regional commissioner, said the decision was aimed at ensuring the safety of people in the southern region.
