Meteorologist cautions Lilongwe residents of flooding in rainy season

Malawi: Amos Mtonya, chief meteorologist for the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services, has warned Lilongwe residents of widespread flooding.

During a district dissemination meeting in Lilongwe, Mtonya said midway changes should be expected, particularly in January 2023.

He has since warned residents to pay attention to the daily weather forecast, noting that even with low rainfall, past records show that the Lilongwe district remains vulnerable to flooding due to its topography and poor drainage systems.

Even though we expect low rainfall this year, changes are on the way, especially with environmental degradation and urbanisation, which may cause changes that have an impact on their lives if they are not careful.

The city's many parts are at risk of flooding due to poor drainage systems and topography with few rainwater outlets."

Mtonya, on the other hand, shared concerns about cyclones, despite the fact that the neutral El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is showing signs of persisting throughout the 2022/23 season, which he believes will cause less damage than the previous season.

During the previous rainy season, the country was hit by two cyclones, Anna and Gombe, which affected 995,072 people across nine districts.

In addition, 46 people were killed, 206 were injured, and 18 were reported missing.

A total of 152,786 people were displaced as a result of the disaster.

Lilongwe and other districts experienced floods that were unrelated to the two tropical storms, affecting a total of 12000 households.

Adam Kabango, Lilongwe Agriculture Extension Development Coordinator, described the message as critical and timely for extension officers to disseminate information to farmers about the best time to plant and the type of seeds that would suit the climate in an interview.