Tropical Storm Filipo which was projected to make landfall over northeastern Ihambane Province in Mozambique early Tuesday, 12 March resulted in thunderstorms in the Mashonaland provinces on Monday.
In a weather update on Monday, the Meteorological Services Department (MSD said moisture being drawn into the country from the north due to the low-pressure weather system brought 36mm of rainfall to Guruve, which is in Mashonaland Central Province.
The MSD also said districts in the eastern parts of the country such as Chipinge, Chiredzi and Chimanimani were also expected to have localised heavier downpours of above 30mm this Tuesday, again due to tropical storm Filipo. It said:
Given the current trajectory which can be exemplified by that of Tropical Cyclone Freddy, the effects of the storm (strong winds, cloudy conditions and moderate rains) are slowly encroaching on the extreme south-eastern parts of the country and might only affect those parts.
Tropical storm Filipo is not expected to affect Zimbabwe much, with cyclone trackers showing its path affecting parts of Mozambique before it heads back into the Indian Ocean.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) yesterday said Tropical Storm Filipo was expected to make landfall over Govuro and Vilankulo districts, Inhambane province on 12 March.
The National Institute of Meteorology reported that Tropical Storm Filipo is set to strengthen into a Severe Tropical Cyclone.
Filipo was forecasted to make landfall over Inhambane province in the early hours of 12 March and to exit into the Indian Ocean on 14 March, after tracking over the provinces of Inhambane, Gaza and Maputo.
On 12 March, between 100 and 250 mm of precipitation are expected in Inhambane, Gaza and Sofala provinces.
On 13 March, between 50 and 100 mm of precipitation is expected in Gaza and Maputo provinces.
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