Weather
With the first cyclone Hidaya brewing over the East Coast of Africa, the Kwale county government has issued an advisory for fishermen not to venture into sea. Usually, incessant rain and strong winds force the marine fisher folks to halt their activities in the sea until the situation of bad weather stabilises.
Governor Fatuma Achani issued the advisory for fishermen appealing to them not to venture into the sea during the period of the cyclone. Achani also issued a warning against visiting seaside villages to avoid any weather-induced dangerous occurrences.
According to the World Meteorological Organisation, a tropical cyclone also referred to as a hurricane or typhoon is a rapidly rotating storm that begins over tropical oceans.
Tropical Cyclone Hidaya is said to have developed over the South Indian Ocean, east of Tanzania and northeast of Comoros, on Wednesday, May 1. It was designated the name ‘Hidaya’ by the Meteo France La Reunion, with forecast models tracking it west northwestward between May 2-4, 2024.
Achani says the coastal counties are usually hit by bad weather and so the devolved government took the threat of the cyclone extremely seriously and made sure the right measures are in place to mitigate its impact.
Governor Achani says as the coastal region braces itself for the storm Kwale is not sitting ducks but added that experts now say the typhoon may not be as bad as initially thought.
However, she said local marine fisher folks are strongly advised not to venture into the sea during the period of Cyclone Hidaya. With the news of the cyclone Hidaya approaching the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu, a large number of fishermen have anchored their boats and fishing trawlers at harbours and jetties.
With the Kenya Meteorological Department advising the fishermen not to venture into the sea many of them have returned to the shore following the cyclone warning. The coastal county boss says the Kwale disaster management committee has been activated to handle any situation and ready with assistance if required.
“The disaster committee will keep regular watch over the weather patterns and be in touch with the relevant authorities to handle any situation,” she said. She said the multi-stakeholder disaster committee has reviewed its preparedness in view of the impending cyclone hidaya in the East coast of Africa.
A local fisher folk representative in the fishing seaside village of Shimoni Omar Abdalla says hundreds of fishing boats have already been anchored following the unprecedented cyclone warning. “We depend on the sea for our daily earnings, but the news of the cyclone warning forced us not to venture into the sea,” he said.
Flash floods and heavy rains in the country that began in the middle of March have killed more than 200 people according to the Interior Ministry.