Floods on Sunday destroyed crops and washed away bridges in traditional authorities (T/As) Timbiri and Kabunduli in Nkhata Bay District.
The disaster follows heavy rains that fell in the district on that day.
I Zondani Mbale
In an interview yesterday, one affected farmer, Solomon Banda from Chisala in T/A Timbiri said the rains had affected his two acres of maize.
“The rains have also washed away a bridge across Chisala River which connects Chisala Primary School and Chisala Health Centre,” he said.
In a separate interview, Nkhata Bay district spokesperson Chisomo Kambandanga said the heavy rains had affected some areas in the district.
He said they were in the process of compiling reports on the extent of the damage to submit to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs.
“Currently, we have started getting reports from different areas through our village committees on those that have been affected and once that is done, we will conduct an assessment on the gravity of the damage,” said Kambandanga.
In October, the Department of Climate
Change and Meteorological Services advised district councils to utilise the 2025/26 seasonal forecast for proper planning in terms of disasters.
The department’s director Lucy Mtilatila said this in Mzuzu when she disseminated the 2025/26 Downscaled Seasonal Forecast for Mzuzu City and some surrounding areas.
“To ensure that people are knowledgeable of what to anticipate during the rainy season, we have embarked on awareness meetings in local authorities on this national seasonal forecast which is downscaled for all the districts,” she said.
Mtilatila advised people in flood-prone areas to be careful throughout the season.
“The rainfall season comes with hazards and it is important to plan well so that we are not taken unawares when hazards come,” she said.
