Zambezi Still Rising

Continued heavy rains in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi will worsen flooding in the Zambezi valley in central Mozambique, warns the Monday bulletin from National Water Board (DNA).

Over the next 48 hours the level of the lower Zambezi will go rising. Exactly how large the flood is depends to some extent on whether the Cahora Bassa dam is forced to open its floodgates any further. On Sunday the dam increased its discharges from 5,100 to 6,000 cubic metres a second, but has held them steady since then.

Rains in Zimbabwe may also raise the level of the Pungue river in Sofala province. The Pungue has already spilled onto the Beira-Zimbabwe highway, making traffic along the road hazardous. If the flood on the Pungue becomes much worse the authorities will have little choice but to close the flooded stretch of the road.

In the two other river valleys where the government declared a red alert last week the situation is improving. The DNA reports that the levels of both the Buzi and the Save rivers are dropping, and this trend is expected to continue over the next 48 hours.