The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has warned that heavy rains will be recorded in some parts of the country to mark the 2020/21 rainy season.
MSD observed the rains will be coupled with violent thunderstorms and localised downpours especially in Matabeleland districts of Beitbridge, Gwanda, Mangwe Bulilima, Matobo, Tsholotsho, Bubi and Umguza among other areas.
Department of Civil Protection (DCP) director Nathan Nkomo told Chronicle plans were in places to attend to possible calamities caused by the rains.
He added that DCP was expecting fatalities and property destruction as a result of heavy rains as MSD has already projected. Nkomo said:
Remember the drought disaster was running together with the Covid-19 pandemic. The same structures which are dealing with the drought and the Covid-19 pandemic are the same structures which we have activated now, ready for the normal to above normal rainfalls as predicted by the MSD. This is the time to manage the two together.
A lot of people will be left homeless, a lot of people will be displaced but all those issues will be dealt with within the auspices of Covid-19. That is why when we did our planning recently, we wanted people to understand the context in which any calamities may befall our environment as a result of heavy rainfalls and the response to be done within Covid-19 context.
Heavy rains have in the past resulted in property destruction with DCP saying infrastructure damage caused by rains could run into billions of dollars while creating a backlog of rehabilitation projects.
In 2019, Cyclone Idai hit Manicaland province in the eastern parts of the country killing more than 300 people, displacing thousands.
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