Flooding is expected to intensify across parts of Southern Africa, including Zimbabwe, as heavy rainfall continues to affect the region, according to the latest weather hazards update from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET).
In its Global Weather Hazards Summary for March 12–18, FEWS NET said moderate to locally heavy rainfall has been observed across several countries in the region, raising concerns about flooding in vulnerable areas.
The agency said the rainfall has affected western, central and eastern parts of Southern Africa, including Angola, Zambia, Malawi, central Mozambique, northern Madagascar, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
“During the past week, moderate to locally heavy rainfall was observed over northern, central and eastern Southern Africa,” FEWS NET said in the report.
The agency noted that flooding has already been recorded in some parts of the region, including Cunene Province in southern Angola and Rundu in northern Namibia, as rainfall continued across several countries.
Over the past 30 days, cumulative rainfall has been above average across southeastern Angola, northeastern Botswana, central South Africa, Lesotho, central and southern Zimbabwe and parts of Malawi and Mozambique, increasing the likelihood of flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas.
FEWS NET warned that the situation could worsen in the coming days.
“(This week) , heavy rainfall is predicted over northern and eastern Zambia, including central and northern Angola, central and eastern Zambia, Malawi, northern and eastern Zimbabwe, Mozambique, northeastern South Africa, Eswatini and northern Madagascar,” the report said.
According to the outlook, the forecast rainfall raises the risk of flooding in many local areas across the region, particularly where soils are already saturated following weeks of above-average rainfall.
The weather monitoring agency also noted that hot conditions are likely in western Angola and southwestern Madagascar, even as other areas brace for continued heavy rains.
FEWS NET provides climate and food security early warning information to support humanitarian planning and disaster preparedness across vulnerable regions.
