Tanzania battles floods as roads, farms damaged, people displaced
A flooded road in Dar as Salaam on April 25, 2024. The Tanzania Meteorological Authority has issued an alert on heavy rainfall in 11 regions which are important for agriculture, mining, wildlife parks and business.
Tanzanian authorities have warned of floods from the ongoing rains and asked people in flood-prone areas to take precautionary measures.
Already, some 300 homes have reportedly been submerged in the northern region of Kilimanjaro, leaving hundreds of families without shelter in the week.
Kilimanjaro regional authorities said the floods caused significant damage to infrastructure, and more than 2,000 acres of farmland was destroyed.
Many residents were forced to seek refuge in nearby schools and makeshift shelters.
Kilimanjaro regional commissioner Nurdin Babu said that the flooding has cut off some roads.
In the southern coast region, several roads have been damaged, disrupting transport to and from the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, especially with after the collapse of Somanga and Matandu bridges which link the city with the  south coast.
The southern regions are important for cashew-nut, coal and gas production, and the road network there links Tanzania with between neighbouring Mozambique and Malawi.
Minister for Works Abdallah Ulega said on Tuesday that a temporary road has been created to allow some 230 cars, 30 lorries and 10 buses and emergency vehicles to pass.
Torrential rains have so far caused widespread flooding in Tanzania’s Morogoro region and displaced hundreds of residents and destroyed farms.
Morogoro region is located between the two capitals Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.
Rescue operations were still going on, but damaged infrastructure slowed down aid delivery, leaving many people without shelter and food, regional administrative officials said.
Shinyanga and Mwanza regions on the shores of Lake Victoria in the northwest have experienced heavy rains and floods.
Security authorities in Lake Victoria zone have cautioned residents against crossing flooded bridges.
The heavy rains were expected. Last month, the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) issued an alert on heavy rainfall in 11 regions which are important for agriculture, mining, wildlife parks and business.
The southern highlands, southern coast and central are the worst hit, with possible disruption of economic activity, mostly agriculture and transport.
About 200,000 people were reported to be affected by El Niño rains which hit several parts of Tanzania between February and May last year and caused deaths in some areas.
According to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) weather forecast, the wetter conditions will be accompanied by warmer temperatures over most of the region.
Parts of northern, eastern and southern Tanzania, southern Kenya and southern Somalia, western regions of Rwanda and Burundi, most of South Sudan, southern Sudan and western Ethiopia are expected to experience above-average rainfall.
According to the Igad Climate Prediction and Forecasting Centre, most parts of the Greater Horn of Africa will experience persistently warmer than normal temperatures, with a high likelihood of extreme temperatures. It is a phenomenon first experienced in February.
Further, analysis of the observed temperatures indicated that most areas in South Sudan, Uganda, northern and western Kenya experienced persistence of extreme temperatures.
Extreme temperatures could negatively affect humans, livestock and socio-economic activities, the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) report said.
