WITH good rains having been received in northern Namibia, especially in the Kunene, Cuito and Zambezi headwaters, the Hydrological Service in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry reports that the Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo is rising rapidly and is now higher than the same time last year.

"Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) information upstream indicates a similar trend and the Zambezi River would be heading for the 5,50-metre mark by February 10. This would then be the maximum flooding level reached in a normal year, but it would be very early in the season," the Hydrological Service reported in its daily bulletin yesterday.

Over the weekend, the Hydrological Service reported that the rising Zambezi water level could be an indication that floods might again make an appearance in north-eastern Namibia this year.

Eighteen households in the Caprivi Region had to be relocated earlier in the month due to heavy rainfall over the festive season.

At the time, Caprivi Governor Lawrence Sampofu said the relocation of the said households from the Choto suburb, an area in Katima Mulilo, were not due to flooding, but heavy rain only, adding that the houses had been constructed with mud and the walls started falling due to the rain.

Lawrence told The Namibian yesterday that since then, no other household has had to be relocated as only light rain has been received in the region over the past two weeks.

The weather bureau in the meantime has advised people, especially in the Caprivi Region, to take precautionary measures as heavy rainfall could be expected.