The Cahora Bassa Hydro-Electric Power Station has announced the interruption of discharges to halt increases in the flow of the Zambezi River due to the approach of tropical storm “Freddy”.
“With this hydrological management measure, the Cahora Bassa dam will contribute to the significant reduction of hydrometric levels in the lower Zambezi,” said the president of Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), Boavida Muhambe, in a statement issued today, Tuesday.
The aim is “to avoid aggravating the possible negative impacts of the passage of tropical cyclone ‘Freddy’. In this way, the dam will be fulfilling one of its main functions, which is to minimise the harmful effects of extreme events downstream,” he concluded.
Mozambique is in the middle of the rainy season, with the river basins on alert and flooding in several places.
Cyclone “Freddy”, which is expected to hit Madagascar today, could lose strength but still reach Mozambique with the classification of a tropical storm with destructive force between Thursday night and Friday morning, 24.
The successive forecasts indicate that the storm could move further south along the Zambezi valley, with Inhambane province being identified as a possible entry point from the coast.
Meteorological services anticipate days of heavy rain as it moves towards the interior of the country.
