Most of the rivers of coastal Mozambique start in neighbouring states - South Africa, Eswatini, Malawi and Zimbabwe - and heavy rains there are already causing flooding in southern Mozambique and expected in the centre. Heavy rains in the north will cause more flooding there. And Cyclone Freddy may hit on Friday 24 February.
In the south, more water being released from the Corumana dam will cause flooding on the Incomati River and perhaps cut the main north-south N1 road. Increased releases from the Massingir dam will raise levels of Limpopo River, already rising with water from Zimbabwe and South Africa. And levels remain high on the Umbeluzi and Maputo rivers.
For general background, the Limpopo River Awareness Kit is good. https://www.limpopo.riverawarenesskit.org/) Daily Maverick (https://bit.ly/3ZfQfjt) has a good map showing flood zones in the north of South Africa. And for a report on flooding in South Africa https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/no-work-school-floods-cause-havoc-limpopo/
In the centre of the country, the main N7 road from Manica to Tete has been cut by a bridge washed out at Catandica, Baruè district; temporary works have allowed a partial reopening. Buzi and Pungue rivers are above flood level, and the Zambeze river has reached flood level.
In the north, warnings have been issued on the Lúrio, Megaruma and Rovuma rivers.
For those keeping a watch on flooding, we post the daily flood report on https://bit.ly/Moz-Flood-2023 and Mozambique's Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia https://www.inam.gov.mz/ does good daily forecasts and its morning report https://www.inam.gov.mz/images/DAPT_Previsoes/Manha/Previsao_Manha.pdf gives rainfall levels at 50 weather stations for the previous 24 hours - for example 101 mm the night of 16/17 February in Maputo city.
The best cyclone monitor is Meteo France in Reunion https://bit.ly/Reunion-cyclone. It is currently monitoring cyclone Freddy which it says will cross Madagascar Wednesday 22 February and go into the Mozambique Channel on Thursday 23 February and become a possible threat to Mozambique.
