By Paul Fauvet, in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (MOZTIMES) - Mozambican President Daniel Chapo confirmed to journalists on Saturday that four people died during the passage of tropical cyclone Gezani in the Mozambique Channel.
Speaking on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Chapo said the death toll was relatively low because Mozambicans had mostly obeyed the government's instructions to take precautions.
The cyclone formed in the Indian Ocean last week. It swept across Madagascar, causing at least 40 deaths.
It was feared that Gezani would also hit Mozambique. But it did not make landfall anywhere on the Mozambican coast. Nonetheless, it brought high winds and torrential rain to parts of Inhambane and Sofala province.
Chapo congratulated people who had been potentially in the cyclone's path for evacuating dangerous areas, in line with the government's warnings. "This minimised the damage", he said. "More damage would have been caused, had we not been prepared. People listened to the early warning messages".
Chapo warned that the rainy season is by no means over. The Mozambican rainy season runs from October to March. Extreme weather events could possibly strike Mozambique in the next six weeks. (PF)
