Mozambique - Tropical Cyclone Jude Flash Update No. 3 (as of 11 March 2025)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • On 11 March, Tropical Cyclone Jude evolved into a severe tropical storm as it passed through Nampula province. The systems continued to affect the weather conditions in northern and central Mozambique, dumping rains of up to 100mm per 24 hours across nine provinces of Mozambique.
  • At least 747,000 people are at high risk and 2.1 million people moderately at risk of high winds and torrential rains including flash flooding in Nampula, Niassa, and Zambezia as a result of the cyclone (WFP TC Jude Emergency Impact Analysis, 11 March 2025).
  • On 11 March, the Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INAM) issued an alert for more torrential rains, up to 200 mm within 24 hours in Nampula, Niassa and Zambezia provinces. In addition, the Hydrological Department in Nampula has issued a flooding alert of main rivers.
  • Early response has been mobilized through activation of the Mozambique Anticipatory Action (AA) Framework for Cyclones, with funds from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) rapidly disbursed to humanitarian partners for anticipatory action and early action activities three days ahead of the cyclone landfall.
  • The cyclone poses a serious risk to the expansion of the cholera outbreak. On 08 March, the Ministry of Health declared a cholera outbreak in Larde, the fourth district affected in Nampula.
  • Humanitarian response capacities are overstretched due to simultaneous responses to two previous cyclones (Chido in December 2024 and Dikeledi in January 2025) and other shocks including cholera, food insecurity, conflict, and political tensions.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Tropical Cyclone Jude downgraded to severe tropical storm on 11 March as it passed through Nampula province. It continues to affect the weather conditions across Mozambique, dumping heavy rains of up to 100mm per 24 hours in the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia. The weather system was last monitored near the southern border of Malawi in the early morning of 12 March, and is forecast to move southeast across Zambezia, Mozambique, as it exits the continent towards the Mozambique Channel on 13 March.

Nampula province bore the brunt as high winds of up to 140 km/h blew away roofs and toppled structures when Tropical Cyclone (TC) Jude made landfall on 10 March. The prolonged rainfall from Jude has resulted in coastal erosion and severe flooding across the province.

Initial reports from partners in the field indicate the impact of TC Jude on houses, public infrastructure including roads, electricity and telecommunication lines. Relief operations have been severely hampered by lack of physical access to people who are cut off since Tropical Cyclone Jude passed in Nampula. Main roads, bridges, and culverts were washed away. Moving relief items and personnel from Cabo Delgado to Nampula has also rendered difficult as national highway N1 is also cut as a bridge has been damaged.

Humanitarian field missions to Nacala Porto and Ilha de Mozambique districts planned on 11 March were cancelled as the main road and alternative routes (via Namatil) were cut-off. INGD and IOM-DTM teams pre-deployed in the districts and are on standby for initial damage and needs assessments in areas that remain accessible.

On 11 March, the Ministry of Health reported 27 new cases in the previous 24 hours, seven in Nampula and 20 in Zambézia (Cholera Bulletin No. 144). Cholera is active in four districts of Nampula – Mogovolas, Cidade de Nampula, Murrupula and Larde – with the response hampered by the destruction of health and WASH facilities from the previous cyclone Dikeledi, post-election political violence since October 2024, and also ongoing high levels of misinformation and community violence against humanitarian. Preparedness measures should be put in place as flooding and population movements during preventive relocation and evacuation may trigger waterborne diseases, including cholera spreading to new areas.

TC Jude is the third cyclone to affect Mozambique in the past three months, with Cyclones Chido (December 2024) and Dikeledi (January 2025) causing massive destruction in the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula and affecting a total of 684,000 people. People in Nampula had not yet recovered from the impact of the previous cyclones, with humanitarian response only managing to reach 14 per cent of the people targeted with some form of life-saving assistance in four districts.