More than 430,000 customers are without electricity in the province of Nampula, in northern Mozambique, due to the impact of tropical cyclone Jude, which entered the country at dawn on Monday (10), announced Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM).
‘Bad weather persists in Nampula province, which is causing interruptions to the electricity supply in various regions,’ said a statement from EDM, emphasising that the Nampula, Angoche and Nacala substations were affected, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without electricity.
According to the company, efforts to re-establish the supply are being hampered by the cutting of access roads. ‘At the moment, the access roads are interrupted, making it difficult to restore electricity to the affected areas,’ the statement added.
Cyclone Jude hit Mozambique through the district of Mossuril, in Nampula, with sustained winds of 140 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 195 kilometres per hour, according to the National Meteorological Institute (INAM). After entering Mozambican territory, the system lost intensity, returning to the category of severe tropical storm, but continues to cause heavy rain and winds that jeopardise critical infrastructure.
According to meteorological forecasts, the cyclone could continue to influence the weather over the next few days, with heavy rainfall of up to 250 millimetres in 24 hours. The phenomenon is affecting the three northern provinces of the country – Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado – and could move towards the centre, also impacting the provinces of Zambézia, Tete, Sofala and Manica.
The National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (INGD) has warned of the risk of floods and landslides, emphasising that 341,000 people could be affected by Cyclone Jude. The government and international partners have already activated emergency operational committees and are mobilising resources to support the affected populations.
The rainy season in Mozambique, which runs from October to April, has been marked by extreme events, including cyclones Chido and Dikeledi, which affected the north of the country between December and January. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), storms and cyclones caused at least 1016 deaths in Mozambique between 2019-23, affecting 4.9 million people.
EDM is appealing for the population’s understanding and guarantees that technical teams are on the ground assessing the damage and working to gradually restore the power supply in the affected areas. In the meantime, the authorities are recommending precautions and safety measures in the face of the bad weather.
Source: Lusa
