Kenya (Tanzania) Hit By First-Ever Cyclone After Weeks of Intense Rainfall and Fatal Flooding

 

A tropical cyclone unleashed heavy rainfall and powerful winds across East Africa over the weekend, adding to the woes of a region already reeling from weeks of extreme weather and fatal floods. Cyclone Hidaya, with wind speeds reaching 165 kph (102.5 mph) and waves nearly eight meters tall, prompted mandatory evacuation orders from the Kenyan Government for residents near 178 dams and water reservoirs in 33 counties. Tanzania faced a widespread blackout and witnessed thousands of displacements. Hidaya, akin to a Category 1 hurricane, marked the first occurrence of its kind in eastern Africa, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

Although local authorities confirmed on Sunday that Cyclone Hidaya had dissipated entirely, the situation in the region, particularly in Tanzania and Kenya, remained critical, with persistent heavy rainfall forecasted until Monday. "Following its landfall at Mafia Island on Saturday, May 4, 2024, Tropical Cyclone Hidaya completely lost its strength. The remnants of the rain clouds that accompanied the cyclone have been observed to weaken and spread out in various areas of the southern region of Tanzania, as confirmed by the Tanzania Meteorological Authority," stated David Gikungu, Director of Kenya’s Meteorological Services.

In recent weeks, East Africa has witnessed a tragic toll from floods and landslides caused by unusually heavy rains, with hundreds of lives lost. Experts attribute the extreme weather to the El Niño weather pattern, associated with warming sea surface temperatures in the central-east equatorial Pacific. In Kenya, flash floods have claimed at least 228 lives and displaced 200,000 people since March, with a dam burst in Nakuru County adding to the devastation. Nearly 20,000 refugees in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camps have been displaced by rising water levels. In neighboring Tanzania, flood-related deaths rose to at least 155, affecting over 200,000 refugees hosted in two camps. Somalia, also severely affected, had to relocate over 46,000 internally displaced people due to flash floods, according to UN data.