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Bi-Weekly Press Briefing: Tropical Storm Freddy Threats Mozambique - WMO 24 February 2023
Exceptional rainfall expected in Mozambique as tropical storm Freddy roars in, warns WMO
Flooding could impact 1.75 million people in the southeastern African country
Tropical cyclone Freddy, which has been sweeping across the Indian Ocean for several days, killed seven people in Madagascar. It is now projected to make landfall in Mozambique this Friday, 24 February, as a severe tropical storm, warned the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
“Tropical Cyclone Freddy has hit Madagascar with strong winds and high seas and it's now literally threatening Mozambique with - not so much winds here - but its very dangerous and exceptional rainfall levels,” explained Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson at the press briefing in Geneva.
There is a potential risk that months’ worth of rainfall may fall in the space of a few days, according to estimates from the WMO’s Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in the neighboring French island of La Réunion. “Météo France issued a warning of intense rainfall south of Beira, which is close to landfall, exceeding 200 to 300 millimeters and locally 400 millimeters in 72 hours. That is immense,” alerted Ms. Nullis.
Some 400,000 people are living in the areas of Freddy's projected trajectory, but the flooding could affect up to 1.75 million people, according to the Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Management. Humanitarians are particularly concerned because the rainy season that started in October last year has left the soils in Mozambique saturated. “The river basin levels are already past alert level because there have been very heavy seasonal rainfalls so far,” said Ms. Nullis. “We shouldn't underestimate the threat of this additional rain.”
Tropical storm Freddy will continue to generate massive rain and flooding in the southeastern part of Africa, threatening to further worsen the cholera crisis, the UN World health Organization (WHO) has warned. Mozambique is already struggling to contain an outbreak that has affected more than 5,200 people since September 2022. All six provinces currently affected by cholera are flood-prone areas reported WHO's Cholera team lead, Dr Philippe Barboza. Over the past two weeks, cholera cases increased sharply by 17 per cent in the country.
Ends
STORY: Tropical Storm Freddy Mozambique Threat
TRT: 01’47”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
RELEASE DATE: 24 February 2023
HYBRID PRESS BRIEFING
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Exterior wide shot: UN flag alley UN Geneva.
- Cutaway: Medium lateral shot, podium with speakers at press conference room, UN Geneva
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis, Spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “Tropical Cyclone Freddy has hit Madagascar with strong winds and high seas and literally, as I'm speaking, it’s now threatening Mozambique with - it’s not so much the winds here - but its very, very dangerous and exceptional rainfall levels.”
- Cutaway: medium shot
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis, Spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “Météo France issued a warning of intense rainfall south of Beira, which is close to landfall, exceeding 200 to 300 millimeters and locally 400 millimeters in 72 hours. That is immense.”
- Cutaway: close shot of journalist typing
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis, Spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The soils in Mozambique are already saturated. The river basin levels are already past alert level because there have been very, very heavy seasonal rainfalls so far. So, we shouldn't underestimate the threat of this additional rain.”
- Cutaway: medium shot of camera and press room
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis, Spokesperson, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The Mozambique's National Disaster Management Authority said that the flooding could affect up to 1.75 million people, and our colleagues at OCHA warns that the confluence of multiple threats is compounding a severe humanitarian situation in Mozambique.”
- Various cutaways shot of journalists and speakers in the press conference room
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