BY DAVID KISANGA
14th January 2014
Strong winds, large waves, heavy rains next three days
According to a statement issued by TMA yesterday, the strong winds are expected to exceed 40 kilometres per hour, while large waves are forecast to exceed 2.0 metres high. Rains are expected to exceed 50mm in 24 hours.
Areas which will be affected by the strong winds include Coastal areas of Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Coast Region, Lindi, Mtwara, Unguja and Pemba.
TMA said areas expected to experience heavy rainfall exceeding 50 mm in 24 hours are southern parts of Morogoro, Rukwa, Mbeya, Njombe, Ruvuma and Mtwara regions.
According to TMA, the weather is caused by deepening of low pressure system in the south-western Indian Ocean over Mozambique Channel which drags winds from the Somali coast and Congo forest.
TMA Acting Director General, Dr Agnes Kijazi said they have so far disseminated the information to different authorities in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar including Zanzibar ports and other smaller ports.
“It is upon passengers and owners of cargo boats to decide whether to travel or not depending on the weather condition, taking into account the capacity and the actual model of the sea vessel,” she said.
Dr Kijazi warned that sea vessels should be careful not to overload either passengers or cargo so as to avoid disasters.
She said boats operating between Zanzibar, Pemba and Dar es Salaam should not travel if their boats cannot cope with the weather changes.
For his part, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) Public Relations Officer, David Mziray said the authority received the information yesterday and disseminated it to all marine vessels.
“We usually disseminate the information to each marine vessel whenever such warning is issued and it is up to them to decide whether to travel or not,” he said.
He said after TMA informed the authority about the forecast, they forwarded it to the control tower which relays the information to various ports.
In December last year, TMA issued a similar weather alert on the possibility of strong winds blowing at up to 40 kilometres per hour and waves exceeding 2.0 metres along the entire coast.
Areas expected to have been affected included Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Coast Region, Lindi and Mtwara regions as well as Unguja and Pemba.
On January 5 this year, at least five people drowned and 18 others went missing after they fell off Kilimanjaro II ferry boat when it was hit by strong waves off Zanzibar’s Nungwi Bay.
The ferry boat sailing from Pemba to Unguja in turbulent weather was hit by the strong waves, throwing it off-balance and causing its engines to cease.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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