A looming meteorological disaster threatens the southern African interior as the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Gezani barrel towards the Mozambique Channel, prompting urgent red alerts across Zambia.

The Ministry of Green Economy and Environment has issued a severe weather warning, forecasting that the cyclone’s interaction with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) will unleash catastrophic rainfall and flash floods. This is not merely a weather event; it is a stress test for the region’s fragile infrastructure and a grim reminder of the intensifying climate crisis gripping the continent.

The Anatomy of the Storm

Cyclone Gezani, which made a destructive landfall on Madagascar’s east coast earlier this week with wind speeds clocking 148 kilometers per hour, has weakened into a Severe Tropical Storm but remains a potent threat. Meteorologists warn that as the system enters the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel, it will act as a massive atmospheric pump, drawing moisture deep into the Zambian interior. The forecast predicts widespread torrential downpours, with specific focus on low-lying areas and river basins that are already near saturation point.

“This is a textbook setup for riverine flooding,” a senior climatologist remarked privately. “The ground is primed, and the sheer volume of water Gezani is pushing inland will overwhelm drainage systems in Lusaka and the Copperbelt within hours.” The government has explicitly advised citizens to secure loose outdoor items and avoid crossing flooded bridges—a directive that often goes unheeded in rural areas where daily survival necessitates movement.

• The Madagascar Impact: Before turning its gaze to the mainland, Gezani left a trail of destruction in Madagascar, flattening villages and disrupting power grids. The island nation is still counting the cost, serving as a grim preview of the storm`s potential kinetic energy.
• Zambia’s Vulnerability: Urban planners have long warned that Zambia’s rapid, unplanned urbanization has blocked natural waterways. A storm of this magnitude exposes these systemic failures, turning city streets into raging torrents.

A Region under Siege

The arrival of Gezani coincides with a particularly volatile rainy season for Southern Africa. The ITCZ has been oscillating violently, creating a corridor of instability that has already tested disaster response mechanisms in Malawi and Zimbabwe. For Zambia, the stakes are economic as well as humanitarian. The agricultural sector, still recovering from previous drought cycles, now faces the inverse threat of crop-rotting floods. Small-scale farmers in the southern provinces are particularly exposed, with thousands of hectares of maize at risk of being washed away.

As the storm system inches closer, the atmosphere in Lusaka is heavy with anticipation. Emergency response teams have been placed on high alert, but resources remain stretched. The coming 72 hours will define the nation’s resilience against a climate reality that is becoming increasingly hostile and unpredictable.