Maputo, 11 Feb (AIM) – Mozambique’s Maritime Transport Institute (ITRANSMAR) has ordered the suspension of shipping and of vessel crossings in the southern province of Inhambane because of the approach of Cyclone Gezani, which formed in the Indian Ocean and tracked across central Madagascar over the weekend.
Cyclone Gezani entered the Mozambique Channel on Wednesday morning and began to intensify. On entering the Channel, Gezani had an average speed of 50 knots (95 kilometres an hour). According to the forecast from the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC), Gezani will intensify to 55 knots on Thursday, 60 knots on Friday and 80 knots on Sunday.
In a statement, ITRANSMAR, said that, in compliance with maritime safety regulations and the protection of human life at sea, the suspension will remain in effect “until the authorities declare that the adverse conditions have subsided.”
The cyclone is expected to have a significant effect on the weather in the coastal districts of the central province of Sofala, and the southern provinces of Inhambane and Gaza, with strong winds, intense gusts and abundant rainfall.
The suspension of shipping is a precautionary measure “aimed at preventing maritime accidents during a critical phase of the cyclone’s evolution”, reads the ITRANSMAR note.
The current forecast for the cyclone’s route shows that Gezani will not make landfall anywhere in Mozambique.
(AIM)
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