The Zambia Meteorological Department has rubbished the warning by the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit alleging that certain parts of the country are likely to be affected by the hard-hit tropical cyclone that hit Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi.
The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit on Saturday warned that the Southern African Development Community – Climate Services Centre had predicted that a tropical storm which has devastated Mozambique, which will migrate inland and make land fall over eastern Mozambique is likely to extend to Zambia.
DMMU Public Relations Officer Rachael Chama,said the storm is likely to affect Luapula, Northern, Central, Southern, Muchinga and parts of Eastern provinces with Districts such as Lunga, Chilubi, Luwingu, Mporokoso, Kawambwa, parts of Mansa and Milenge likely to receive rainfall in excess of 10 mm from March 16.
But in what appears to be clear lack of coordination between the two, MET, Acting Director Emmanuel Sikana has told ZANIS that Zambia is in the first place not in danger zone from the cyclone and that the department is observing its movements.
Mr. Sikana says the cyclone which hit Zimbabwe has started going back to central position in Mozambique and is likely to go back to the Indian Ocean.
He however, explained that when the cyclone was around central Mozambique, it started pushing the rainfall activities to northern parts of Zambia especially North western and Copperbelt.
Mr. Sikana, added that with the cyclone retracting back to Mozambique, it is apparently pulling the westerly winds towards Zambia thereby, inducing more rainfall activities on the Copperbelt, Luapula, Northern, Muchinga and parts of Eastern and Central provinces.
He added that due to this direction, the country may have isolated showers and thunderstorms during the afternoons in the Western, Southern and Lusaka provinces though not significant rains in Lusaka and Western.
Mr. Sikana stressed that the department is however, still vigilant in case the cyclone regenerates.
On Friday, a tropical storm known as the Cyclone Idai which brought water flood and destruction to areas of Mozambique and Malawi, hit Zimbabwe cutting off power and communications and claimed about over 60 lives.
We better off with this cyclone than this drought.
I am not surprised, the the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit is run by unqualified PF cadres like Chanda Kabwe.
But even the Satwant minister of Transport was busy scaring the nation in Luanshya the other day and the same day the Zambia Meteorological Department gave a different version which left us wondering as to who feeds the Minister with information or may be they are a guess work type of leadership.
Cyclone in zim yet no rain in SP.
DMMU plans to “chew alone” funds for preparedness have been SCUTTLED by ZMD!
The two Dept must have liaised and shared infor & funds with each.
Sharing is caring!
Now see none of the ‘crooked’ Depts will benefit out of the anticipated misery!
The DMMU said: “Climate Services Centre had predicted that a tropical storm which has devastated Mozambique, which will migrate inland and make land fall over eastern Mozambique is likely to extend to Zambia”.
The key word here is “LIKELY TO EXTEND TO ZAMBIA”. Likely does not mean definitely.
DMMU was only alerting people to be on the ready.
Where was the Zambia Meteorological Department when these predictions were made? They didn’t even give any update to anyone. Now that the cyclone is retracting back to Mozambique they want to be champions and rubbishing the important warning given by DMMU???
It is the Zambia Meteorological Department that are useless here!!!
Welcome to Zambia. It’s like the DMMU, under the office of the vice president for that matter, has no confidence in our Meteorological department. The explanation from met makes sense, though.
Weather is the territory of ZMD. They do the forecasting. They have equipment, staff, software and weather forecasting models and software. Role of DMMU is only for preparedness, to galvanise funding to minimise adverse weather impacts. They should get their data from ZMD and then proceed to formulate mitigation plans. Clearly, this is a case of a driver pretending to be an engineer!!
Oh today ZMD are champions? They should just shut up with their “partly cloudy in a few places” sangoma like weather predictions. “Pulling winds east” my foot, sit down already.
l think this is nonsense from ZMD. What is wrong with what DMMU said? Apparently, DMMU was sending ba warning which is good. How times have you failed us? You made former vice president Gen Miyanda give a statement that was contrary to what happened. Sometimes learn to keep quiet. As far safety is concerned, DMMU was very very right and it is based on info from a regional weather station whose credibility is high.
ZMD are directly linked to SADC and World Meterological Organisation weather databases and satellites. They are the official organ of weather in the country and provide hour by hour updates for aviation industry. The updates given as ‘partly cloud . . .’ are scaled-down summaries for non-professional consumers. DMMU are a bunch of cadres and a few economists, sociologists, and economists, at best. If their warning had been based on ZMD forecasts, that would be good. In this instance, it is clearly sensational overstepping
This cyclone has turned Zambia into a swimming pool.Peter Carlos Hinds.
Weather.Unpleasant or fair should be relayed to the public.Peter Carlos Hinds.
Who names these cyclones kanshi?
GENERAL You are 100 percent correct people in the METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT please you were supposed to inform the nation but you are quite and you getting a lot of money for that job,
Ndiye Ku kamba uko BA MET department. N keep it up.
DMMU | Disaster Management Is the Responsibility of Everyone
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This website is only giving stuff from 2014 surely. Can they confirm if they have a new website
Maybe it could be the reason that DMMU Public Relations Officer Rachael Chama, was interviewed at shoprite where he was doing his shopping instead of his office if you saw the clip showed by ZNBC
But it was prophesied by prophet TB Joshua earlier. People don’t take messages from God/prophets.now see the outcome