Tropical Cyclone Jobo formed on 21st April over the south Indian Ocean. The maximum sustained wind speed recorded was 111km/h (69mph) on 21st April, making it a Tropical Cyclone (weak Cat 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale).
Jobo has now weakened to a Severe Tropical Storm (Tropical Storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) with current maximum sustained wind speed of 93 km/h (58 mph). It is currently positioned at -10.4S, 46.5E and moving at a speed of approximately 15km/h (9mph) and is expected to weaken further over the next few days.
Severe Tropical Storm Jobo is forecast to make
landfall over the eastern coast of Tanzania on 25th April with
maximum sustained winds speeds of 65km/h (40mph). The maximum storm surge height forecast for Tanzania is 0.2m.
Jobo is expected to further weaken after making landfall and will dissipate after
27th April.
Heavy rainfall and strong winds and
storm surge are expected to affect Aldaba (Seychelles) Comoros, Mayotte and Tanzania.
Although cyclones making landfall in Tanzania are rare, they are not unheard of. On 15th April 1952, a tropical cyclone (Lindi Cyclone) with wind speeds measuring 117km/h (110mph) made landfall in Lindi (Stephen M. Blumel, The Tanzania hurricane of 14-16 April 1952, National Weather Digest). This is equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane. Another cyclone called the Zanzibar cyclone made landfall over the island of Zanzibar on 14th April 1872. Both cyclones had devastating impacts according to eyewitness accounts (Hellen E. Msemo, Declan L. Finney and Samwel I. Mbuya, Weather – Month 9999, Vol. 99, No. 99, Forgotten accounts of tropical cyclones making landfall in Tanzania).
Up to date information on Severe
Tropical Storm Jobo can be found on the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre)
(References: GDAC, PDC, Joint Typhoon
Warning Centre)
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