The African country of Mozambique presided upon by Filipe Nyusi has been hit by tropical Storm Dineo which made landfall in Inhambane Province, yesterday, causing flooding and strong winds.

According to Ceoafrica, it reached the strength of a Category 1 hurricane on the international Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds registered at 130km/h., while in the Mozambique Channel, the cyclone generated waves 6 metres high.

The coast of Inhambane is popular with tourists from around the world. It has shallow sandy beaches and Mozambique has a balmy climate. The coast is often hit in cyclone season.

In addition to the strength of wind, the common risk along cyclone-hit coasts is the storm surge.

In the centre of a major cyclone, the water is lifted and comes ashore as inundation. In the case of Dineo, this addition to the tidal rise was about half a metre, which made the high tide of 3.4m rather deeper, but not extreme.

The wind brought down several trees and damaged many of the lightly constructed buildings in Inhambane province.

Now overland and a rainstorm, it presents a significant flash-flood risk to the upper Limpopo River and both the Limpopo and Kruger National Parks.

Southern Zimbabwe and eastern Botswana may well benefit from remnant thundery rain on Friday.