Tropical storm Eloise en route to Mozambique

WEATHER experts continue to monitor Eloise, the tropical storm that made landfall in Madagascar last (Tuesday) evening.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) announced a short while ago that Eloise is still expected to enter the Mozambique Channel tomorrow where she will intensify to that of tropical cyclone intensity.

ALSO READ: Could tropical storm Eloise hit northern KZN?

It is important to note that while Eloise was categorised as a ‘strong tropical storm’ when it hit Madagascar, it is expected to intensify to that of tropical cyclone status when travelling towards Mozambique.

The SAWS said that Eloise is expected to make landfall around Vilankulos (Mozambique) on Saturday evening, where storm surge, excessive rain and destructive winds of between 166 and 213km/h will be unleashed on the Mozambican coastline and adjacent interior.

Once making landfall, Eloise is expected to track further south-westwards towards the border between Mozambique and South Africa.

Despite Eloise weakening overland, widespread rainfall is expected across southern Mozambique, the eastern Lowveld and escarpment of Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, as well as northern KZN on Sunday, continuing into Monday.

Potential impacts as a result of the excessive rain include widespread flooding, damage to roads and bridges, and possible displacement of affected communities.

‘It is important to note that accurate prediction of the path of tropical weather disturbances is very challenging indeed as they are notorious for their often erratic and unpredictable movement,’ said SAWS.

‘We will continue to monitor this system and keep the public advised via regular updates across a variety of media platforms.’

Earlier today, the ECMWF forecasting model suggested that Eloise will have a more direct path into South Africa with roughly the same timing as the GFS weather model.

Both models were suggesting that Mpumalanga could take the brunt of the storm after landfall in Mozambique, however, this could change in the coming days.

Eloise made landfall in Madagascar yesterday evening and, as is the case with tropical storms and cyclones, weakened significantly after hitting land.

Today, she has been making her way over Madagascar as an overland depression, causing havoc over the northern parts of the island.

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