Cyclone Freddy invades Zim, lightning strikes two people and seven cattle in Chimanimani and Chipinge

Staff Writer

 CYCLONE Freddy invaded Zimbabwe Friday amid reports that lightning struck two people and seven cattle in Chimanimani and Chipinge areas.

Although not yet officially quantified, indications from sources on the ground confirms that buildings in the areas were destroyed

This comes at a time when the Civil Protection Unit has activated its systems in preparation for any eventualities in the envisioned tropical storm.

Strong contingency measures have been put in place by Government to cope with Cyclone Freddy, whose fringes reach Zimbabwe tonight, including keeping day scholars in affected districts at home tomorrow, establishing evacuation centers, and deploying aid and medical supplies so they are physically in place in the at-risk districts.

At the same time transport operators have been stopped running night services, and local authorities have been warned of the flood dangers in wetlands and along rivers.

Cyclone Freddy hit southern Madagascar on Tuesday night and while it was downgraded to an overland depression, it was expected in the Mozambique Channel today, where it will build up strength again to at least the severe tropical storm level, before making landfall in Mozambique.

While the Meteorological Services Department has forecast that the worst-hit provinces will be Manicaland, especially the southern districts, Masvingo and parts of Matabeleland South, the meteorologists have warned that Freddy’s path could alter drastically and so Government is prepared to deal with high rainfall, strong winds and damage in Mashonaland East and Central and Harare Metropolitan as well, provinces now also placed on high alert and counted as high risk.