Cyclone batters Mozambique again

Another cyclone made landfall in northern Mozambique on Thursday, just six weeks after Cyclone Idai raged through the central part of the country. Cyclone Kenneth struck north of the city of Pemba with sustained winds of 136 miles per hour, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. It is expected to bring heavy rains and flooding across northeastern Mozambique. At least three people have died. The storm already hit the Indian Ocean island nation of Comoros, where it killed at least three people and damaged houses and infrastructure. Officials in southern Tanzania remain on alert.

Mozambique’s National Institute of Disaster Management said the government already evacuated more than 30,000 people from the area and had supplies to assist 140,000 people for 15 days. “The compulsory evacuation will continue until we have all people on secure ground,” said spokesman Paulo Tomas.

The United Nations said the slow-moving cyclone could bring more than 23.6 inches of rain, nearly double the amount that flooded the port city of Beira during Idai.

Last month, Idai killed more than 1,000 people in central Mozambique before moving into Zimbabwe and Malawi. Aid groups have been assisting with health and shelter needs ever since. This year is the first time in known history that Mozambique endured two cyclones in one season, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.