(24 Feb 2007)
1. Destroyed trees, pan into maize corn flattened by cyclone
2. Various of corn maize flattened by cyclone
3. Various of corn maize submerged into water
4. Zoom out of a tree on the ground and a house destroyed by the cyclone
5. Various of family chopping wood together
6. Destroyed house
7. Destroyed house and clothes on a tree
8. Women collecting her belongings
9. Destroyed house
10. Women passing past a destroyed house
11. Destroyed house
12. Another destroyed house
13. Various of houses destroyed by the cyclone
Keyword-severe weather cyclone
STORYLINE
Tropical cyclone Favio continued to wreak havoc in Mozambique on Friday with winds gusting up to 170mph, destroying homes, causing blackouts and injuring many.
Cyclone Favio, the strongest to hit the southern African country has continued moving inland, decimating the area of Nova Mambone.
Severe flooding in the last few months has already killed at least 40 people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
The first victim of the storm was the town of Vilanculos, some 500 miles north of the capital Maputo, where it destroyed many of the tourist town’s buildings and market areas.
The National Meteorology Institute, INAM, said Favio’s strong winds and rains were concentrated in the province of Inhambe but were felt as far away as Xai-Xai, the capital of nearby Gaza province.
On Friday the storm continued to push into Mozambique, but is dramatically decreasing in intensity, with sustained winds during the early hours falling to around 60mph, compared to the winds of 125mph as it smashed into the coast yesterday.
Even though the storms intensity is waning, it is not so much the wind but the rain which is a problem.
This will cause additional flooding to a country which has already been devastated by relentless rain and floods this winter.
The storm is expected to take heavy rain into Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe, further swelling the tributaries that feed the Zambezi.
Further east on the island of Madagascar Tropical Cyclone Gamede is expected to pound the north with winds over 140mph later on Saturday. The National Meteorology Institute in Mozambique will be keeping a close eye on its track, in case it steers their way.
