03 Feb 2022

Botswana is said not to be under any threat from the Tropical Cyclone Batsirai.

In an interview, Principal Meteorologist at Botswana Meteorological Services, Mr Charles Molongwane said because Botswana was located over the far eastern part of the Indian Ocean, chances of Cyclone Batsirai were sketchy, especially that it had not yet made landfall on Madagascar.

However, Mr Molongwane said the office would continue monitoring the Tropical Cyclone after it had reached the Mozambican channel, when its effects and or impacts would be mostly felt.

“It is too early to say whether it will reach Botswana or not, the cyclone is making landfall in Madagascar on February 5, where it is expected to bring possible heavy rainfall and strong winds”, he said.

He said thereafter Cyclone Batsirai was expected to cross over into the Mozambican channel by February 7, adding that the Metrological Services was monitoring the movement of the cyclone and would keep updating the public of any new developments.

Meanwhile, Mr Molongwane said, the rainfall that Botswana was currently experiencing was due to weather systems such as the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), medium level westerly troughs and easterly waves, saying that means areas of low pressures that lead to medium level instability, resulting in strong winds and thunderstorms or thundershowers.

He further said those systems were expected to continue giving rainfall until the end of the rainfall season, which he said was officially in March.

Mr Molongwane said since the rainfall season was not yet over and the whole country was expecting a relatively wet season up to March 2022. He also advised parents and guardians to discourage children from swimming in dams to avoid drowning.

On February 1, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Climate Services Centre released a press release stating that the Tropical Cyclone Batsirai is evolving over and heavy rainfall is expected over the SADC region including Botswana. Ends