Tropical Storm Hits Mozambique

Greetings again from a hot and humid Mozambique. We know that most of you who read and follow our blog live in the Northern Hemisphere and, as your winter drags on, might find yourselves slightly envious of our summer heat. But it’s not all glorious sunshine here. There had been no sign of the rains (which normally start in November) and everyone has been waiting with bated breath for a break in the sweltering heat and some cooling water for their crops. That is until last weekend.



Today's satelite image of the storm (NASA from wunderground.com)

Over the weekend, we had our first experience of a tropical cyclone as a category 4 storm, nicknamed ‘Funso’ hit the Mozambican coast. Associated Press say that at least 10 people in Mozambique have been killed, and thousands of people have been driven from their homes. Many crops and homes have been destroyed and roads and bridges are now impassible. Winds have gusted well over 150kph. Here in Beira we’re still cut off from the capital city, Maputo. Today’s ‘Diario de Moçambique’ newspaper reports that 12,000 are currently homeless.

As the storm skipped past us further out to sea on Sunday night (we were up trying to comfort Isaac as thunder crashed overhead) it was little more than an inconvenient sleepless night. Please pray for our partners, the Convenção Baptista de Moçambique who are currently planning how best to help those who have been left homeless and cropless just the other side of the nearby River Pungue.