Garowe — Heavy rains with strong winds have been battering parts of Puntland in north east Somalia for the last 18 hours particularly towns and villages alongside the coast.

Residents in the coastal communities have been bracing for the bad weather after forcasts of the weather have been extensively aired and posted through the local media throughout Somalia.

Most of the areas, where the strong winds and heavy downpour are affecting, are towns and villages with large numbers of internally displaced and the IDPs live ramshackle camps so there is a concern that their houses may be destroyed by the winds.