Maputo — Cylone Jokwe left a trail of destruction this weekend across coastal districts in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula.

According to the country's relief agency, the National Disasters Management Institute (INGC), at least four people died on Saturday when the cyclone, with winds of up to 100 kilometres an hour, swept through the district of Mogincual. Three were killed in the coastal locality of Quinga, and a fourth died when a mosque collapsed in the town of Namige.

Throughout Mogincual, Mossuril and Mozambique Island districts, flimsy houses were knocked down and the roofs were blown off schools and other public buildings. 1,600 houses were damaged or destroyed in Mogincual, 230 in Mossuril and 131 on Mozambique Island.

At least 119 fishing boats were damaged or destroyed. On Mozambique Island, where islam is the dominant religion, three mosques were destroyed. In Mossuril, the roof was blown off the local prison. A bridge over the Mogincual river collapsed, cutting the road to Namige.

30 electricity pylons were knocked down on Mozambique Island - which means the district is without drinking water as well as electricity, since there is no power to work the pumps.

The cyclone is moving south, and the National Emergency Operations Centre (CENOE) has extended a red alert to cover, not only the Nampula coast, but also the Zambezia coastal districts of Pebane and Maganja da Costa, and the provincial capital Quelimane.

But Zambezia may be spared the worst impacts of the storm, since the centre of the cyclone has moved back out to sea. Over land, Jokwe had lost strength, falling from a category thee to a category two storm. But over the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel, it will pick up speed and intensify.

On Sunday, winds near the centre of the storm system were up to 120 kilometres an hour, and it was generating seven metre high waves, thus posing a serious threat to shipping.

On its current course, Jokwe will head south, straight across the bay of Sofala, bringing rain to the coast of Sofala province. Meteorologists expect it to fizzle out by Tuesday or Wednesday, before it reaches land again.

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