Tanzania is experiencing widespread power outages as Cyclone Hidaya bears down on the country’s coast. The storm has brought heavy rain and strong winds, following a period of severe flooding in the region. As a precaution, ferry services between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar have been suspended.
Cyclone Hidaya is getting stronger as it approaches the coast, with winds reaching up to 120 kilometers per hour (33 miles per hour) and even stronger gusts. Officials are warning people to be careful and take necessary precautions as the storm intensifies.
The weather service recorded higher than normal rainfall in coastal areas overnight. The Tanzania Red Cross Society has been working to prepare coastal communities for the storm. Heavy rain and flooding over the past few weeks in Tanzania and East Africa have caused 155 deaths and affected more than 200,000 people.