Parts of central Mozambique have been flooded after Cyclone Eloise struck near the port city of Beira with wind speeds of around 140km/h (90mph).

Beira received 250mm (10 inches) of rain in 24 hours, according to Mozambique’s National Institute of Meteorology (INAM).

Local officials and aid agencies are assessing the scale of the damage so they can help those affected, and trying to restore power which was cut off in some areas.

Several people are reported to have been killed.

The cyclone has now been downgraded to a tropic storm and was forecast to be heading towards Zimbabwe and northern South Africa, which have already experienced heavy rainfall.

Residents of Beira, Mozambique’s second city with a population of about 500,000, are trying to clean up as best they can.

They are salvaging what they can from their flooded homes.

Trees, electricity pylons, and advertising hoardings were blown over by the force of the wind.

Several rivers in the region have burst their banks and vast areas around Beira are underwater.

Water levels were already high, even before the cyclone made landfall on Saturday.

The region is still recovering from two devastating cyclones, Idai and Kenneth, which hit in 2019, killing hundreds and forcing many thousands from their homes.

Source: BBC