JOHANNESBURG - The South African Weather Service on Thursday said Tropical cyclone Idai is expected to make a landfall in Mozambique later on Thursday.
Tropical cyclone Idai was currently over the northern parts of the Mozambique channel and was expected to move slowly south-west into parts of Mozambique over the next couple of days.
"Dangerously high seas, extreme flooding, strong, damaging winds, storm surges and significant rainfall may be expected," the SA Weather warned.
Charity foundation Gift of the Givers said in a statement that they were on high alert and would respond depending on the degree of devastation, but more importantly, only if a call was being made by the Mozambican Government for urgent assistance.
"Our intervention includes 70 personnel (aquatic rescue, rescue technicians, rescue divers, advance life support paramedics and doctors), 22 vehicles, ten power boats, four jetskis, 14 inflatable, non-motorised two-person rescue boats, a range of rescue equipment and access to an eight-seater plane.
"We have already engaged the Mozambican Government and the head of Disaster Management in that we are ready to respond if they require assistance" the foundation said.
Malawi and Mozambique have so far felt the brunt of Tropical Cyclone Idai since its inception on 9 March and close to a million people have been displaced, while scores have died and thousands of homes have been destroyed.
The SA Weather service said landfall is expected in Beira, Mozambique, between 9pm Thursday and 8am on Friday. Substantial devastation, with massive flooding, both from river and sea was expected.
The weather service confirmed that the cyclone is expected to largely miss South Africa.