Mombasa,
Saturday, 4 May, 2024
McCreadie Andias
The government has issues new directives in response to the emerging impacts of Cyclone Hidaya which is expected to hit the Kenyan coast any day soon.
The weatherman warned that the Cyclone will be preceded by massive precipitation with strong winds and powerful waves capable of significantly disrupting normal activities within Kenya’s territorial waters in the Indian Ocean as well as human settlements along the Kenyan Coast.
The extreme high are expected from Thursday to late Sunday with countries neighboring the Indian Ocean expected to face one of the worst cyclones to hit the east African coast amidst the ongoing torrential rains.
Following this alarm the Ministry of Interior has directed County Security and Intelligence Committees (CSICs) of Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi and Lamu Counties in collaboration with the Kenya Coast Guard Service(KCGS), to ban all non-essential activities along the coastline including beach recreation, fishing and non-essential travels.
Furthermore, residents deemed to live too close to the territorial waters will be temporarily evacuated.
The ministry says that Scientific tracking of Cyclone Hidaya has established that the Cyclone has now acquired full status with the capability of remaining so until it hits the Coasts of Kenya and Tanzania any time now.
The Ministry says all the precautionary measures will be undertaken due to public safety reasons.
All the given directives will take effect from today, May 4, 2024 at 5.00pm up to and until midnight on Monday, May 6, 2024 when Cyclone Hidaya is expected to expire.