Heavy rains bring smiles, pain

Patience Nhamburo

Zimbabwe’s Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has advised people to keep indoors during heavy rains as venturing outside could endanger their lives.

The warning comes as heavy rains battered the capital Harare last night, giving relief to residents who have been facing critical water shortages for the better part of 2019. 

MSD chief forecaster James Ngoma said the wet spell will persist until tomorrow before moving eastwards.

“The wet spell will move to Mashonaland East where it will be affected by dry winds,” Ngoma said.

Most Zimbabweans have received the ongoing rains with joy, especially farmers whose crops have been under severe moisture stress, but it is a totally different story in the Midlands province.

According to the Department of Civil Protection, there are reports of communities being marooned.

There are also fears of floods as water levels in rivers are swelling.

“There have been incidents of communities being marooned by Ume River in Gokwe North and Ngezi River in Mberengwa,” the Department of Civil Protection said in a statement.

Some parts of the country have been receiving heavy down pours and the public is urged to be cautious particularly those close to large river systems.