Tanzanians advised to move to higher grounds ahead of cyclone Kenneth

A tropical cyclone, dubbed “Kenneth”, is predicted to hit Mozambique's coast and Tanzania in the coming week.

According to BBC, authorities in Tanzania are also warning that the tropical cyclone may have severe consequences for locals in the would-be affected areas.

Lindi, Mtwara and Ruvuma regions in Tanzania have been identified as the most prone to the weather, which is predicted to hit the country on Thursday.

Residents in the southern coastal regions have been told to move to safer ground, just over a month after a more powerful storm struck the Mozambican port city of Beira, killing hundreds of people.

More than 1,000 people were reported killed by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Weather forecasters say Cyclone Kenneth will bring heavy rainfall, strong winds and waves of several metres to the southern African nation, which is still reeling from the effects of devastating Cyclone Idai.

Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management said that about 682,500 people could be at risk from the storm in the northern Cabo Delgado and Niassa provinces.

Mozambique also faces a cholera epidemic after the cyclone wiped out water facilities.

About 2,000 people were infected in the last outbreak, which ended in February 2018, according to the World Health Organisation.

With the start of the rains also in Kenya, the Ministry of Health has cautioned seven counties to increase surveillance and encourage households to treat their water after these counties cumulatively reported 1,463 suspected cholera infections.

The ministry explains, "The risk factors for the transmission of cholera, like unavailability of portable water, poor sanitation and hygiene practices, still persist in high-risk areas and the situation is likely to be exacerbated in view of the upcoming long rains".

The affected counties include Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Garissa and Narok.