The Southern Regional Water Administration (ARA-Sul) has warned of the risk of severe flooding in the Limpopo River basin and flooding in the Umbeluzi and Incomáti river basins, a situation that could lead to road traffic disruptions across all districts of Maputo and Gaza provinces.
In a statement sent to the media, ARA-Sul explained that the alert stems from the persistence of heavy rainfall recorded in upstream countries and within the national territory, combined with the high storage levels of the region’s reservoirs, currently above 90% of their capacity.
“In view of the heavy rains that continue to be recorded upstream and locally, as well as the reservoir storage levels, an increase in current discharges from the Pequenos Libombos, Corumana and Massingir dams is expected over the next 24 hours,” the institution said.
According to the statement, the planned discharges could reach 360 cubic metres per second at the Pequenos Libombos dam, 1,000 cubic metres per second at the Corumana dam, and more than 10,000 cubic metres per second at the Massingir dam, significantly increasing the risk of flooding in downstream riverside areas.
In light of this scenario, ARA-Sul is calling for the immediate adoption of preventive measures, including the relocation of people and property from areas prone to flooding in the Umbeluzi, Incomáti, Limpopo and Save river basins.
“The population should move to safe areas and adopt precautionary measures, avoiding river crossings and staying away from flood-prone areas,” the authority stressed.
ARA-Sul also recommends continuous monitoring of hydrological and meteorological information issued by the relevant authorities, taking into account the evolving climatic conditions in the southern region of the country.
