Torrential rains, flooding in southern Africa kill more than 100 people; Mozambique, Zimbabwe among hardest hit

“Army helicopters rescued radical stranded connected rooftops and hundreds of tourists and workers were evacuated from 1 of the world's biggest crippled reserves, arsenic torrential rains and flooding successful 3 countries successful confederate Africa killed much than 100 people,” authorities said connected Friday (January 16, 2026).

The decease toll crossed South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is an accumulation aft weeks of dense rains. Weather services issued warnings that much rainfall was connected the way, perchance bringing much destructive flooding.

More than 2 lakh radical affected successful Mozambique

Mozambique was the hardest hit, with flooding crossed swathes of the country's cardinal and confederate provinces. Its Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction said 103 radical had died successful an unusually terrible rainy play since precocious past year. “The number included deaths from assorted causes including electrocution from lightning strikes, drowning successful floods, infrastructure illness caused by the terrible upwind and cholera,” the institute said.

“More than 2 lakh radical person been affected successful Mozambique, thousands of homes person been damaged and tens of thousands look evacuation,” the World Food Programme said of different situation successful a mediocre state with constricted resources that has faced respective damaging cyclones successful the past fewer years.

In neighbouring South Africa, officials said connected Friday (January 16, 2026) the decease toll from floods successful 2 bluish provinces had risen to astatine slightest 30, with rescue efforts ongoing.

Zimbabwe's catastrophe absorption bureau said that 70 radical person died and much than 1,000 homes person been destroyed successful dense rains since the opening of the year, portion infrastructure including schools, roads and bridges collapsed. Flooding has besides deed the land federation of Madagascar arsenic good arsenic Malawi and Zambia.

The United States' Famine Early Warning System said flooding was reported oregon expected successful astatine slightest 7 confederate African nations, perchance owed to the beingness of the La Nina upwind improvement that tin bring dense rains to parts of southeastern Africa.

Army is deployed successful South Africa

The South African Army was utilizing helicopters to determination radical to information arsenic they took refuge connected rooftops oregon successful trees successful the bluish Limpopo province. “The Army besides had to rescue constabulary officers and borderline power officers from a checkpoint connected the South Africa-Zimbabwe border,” it said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited flood-stricken areas successful Limpopo connected Thursday (January 15, 2026) and said that portion had received astir 400 millimetres (more than 15 inches) of rainfall successful little than a week. He said that successful 1 territory helium visited “there are 36 houses that person conscionable been wiped distant from the look of the Earth." Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba said much than 1,000 houses were damaged crossed the province, with galore of them washed distant entirely. “It's truthful terrible,” she said.

There was besides extended harm successful Mpumalanga province, wherever roads and bridges were damaged oregon destroyed. In the Nkomazi Municipality adjacent the borderline with Mozambique, residents were trying to repair the harm successful their flooded homes and yards — and bracing for much utmost upwind aft the South African Weather Service issued a red-level 10 alert for much destructive rains and floods for that portion of the country, the highest informing level.

“I americium inactive terrified that the rains volition instrumentality arsenic these were the worst rains I person seen successful this area," said Nkomazi nonmigratory Josephina Mashaba.

Tourists and unit evacuated astatine Kruger parkland

South Africa's renowned Kruger National Park, which covers immoderate 22,000 quadrate kilometres (7,722 quadrate miles) crossed Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, has been affected by terrible flooding. “Around 600 tourists and unit members person been evacuated from camps to high-lying areas successful the park,” parkland spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli said.

He couldn't instantly accidental however galore radical determination were successful the park, which has been closed to caller visitors aft respective rivers burst their banks and flooded camps, restaurants and different areas. The nationalist parks bureau said precautions were being taken and nary deaths oregon injuries had been reported astatine Kruger, but parts of the parkland were wholly chopped disconnected by the floods.

Southern Africa has experienced a bid of utmost upwind events successful caller years, including devastating cyclones that killed thousands crossed respective countries and a scorching drought that caused a nutrient situation successful parts of a portion that often suffers nutrient shortages.

The World Food Programme said much than 70,000 hectares (about 173,000 acres) of crops successful Mozambique, including staples specified arsenic atom and corn, person been waterlogged successful the existent flooding, worsening nutrient insecurity for thousands of small-scale farmers who trust connected their harvests for food.