Herald Reporter
Isolated heavy downpours accompanied by strong winds that have been experienced recently in some parts of the country have damaged schools and houses.
While many falls were light, some notable rainfall was recorded in Kwekwe with 15mm and Nyanga 44mm.
Bursts of high wind, and these are often seen under thunderstorms, have seen trees uprooted and damaged, usually roof sheets not well secured.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, at Chirumba Secondary School in Bikita District, in Masvingo, the roofs of Blair toilets and teachers' houses were damaged by a fallen tree due to strong winds on Thursday, but there were no casualties.
On Thursday Mataga Growth Point in Mberengwa District in Midlands saw heavy rains accompanied by strong winds. As a result, Chamakudo and Remiti Primary Schools had their classroom block roofs blown off. The surrounding homesteads were also affected," read the statement.
In Mashonaland East a computer laboratory block at Kagande Secondary School in Mutoko District had its roof blown off by strong winds on Wednesday.
The following day in Hwedza District, a violent storm damaged classroom blocks at Joseph Munzverengi Secondary School when the roof was blown off. In Matabeleland South, in Matobo District, Ward 23, heavy rains accompanied by strong winds damaged six homesteads with four of them severely damaged on Wednesday last week.
"The affected families are in urgent need of shelter and food items. On Wednesday last week in Ward 7, in Beitbridge District, a violent storm destroyed solar panels and crops valued approximately at R100 000 at an irrigation scheme in Luwade Village, Beitbridge West Constituency," read the statement.
The Civil Protection Committees in all districts have been activated and are on standby for the present rainfall season.
Matobo District Civil Protection Committee assisted the affected households with mealie meal and a rapid needs assessment was carried out in all affected districts. Recently, the Meteorological Services Department head of forecasting Mr James Ngoma said the department is expecting rainfall that is closer to normal since the El Nino phenomenon is fading.
"Beginning this year, we had El Nino but now are moving on into the neutral phase where we expect it to be closer to normal. We expect more normal to above normal rains as we get into sub seasons of the main season," he said.
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Zimbabwe has increasingly seen more severe floods and droughts in the recent decades.
Tropical Cyclone Idai, the worst in more than 50 years to reach Zimbabwe, brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe between March 5 and 19 in 2019, causing severe flooding which led to loss of lives, destruction of infrastructure, disruption of livelihoods and destruction of crops.
The department has indicated that from November the country will start to get meaningful rains. Currently, farmers are still working on land preparations taking advantage of the current moisture.
The onset of the rainfall season is when an area receives an amount of 20 millimetres or more of rainfall in about three days and there is no dry spell for the next 10 days. Maize requires 22 millimetres and above to germinate and soya beans 30mm minimum to be on the safe side.
