Mozambique and other areas affected by the South Indian Ocean tropical storm "FILIPO" have experienced heavy to downpour rain

1、Observation

A tropical storm named "FILIPO" formed in the southern Indian Ocean on the 11th. At 08:00 on the 12th (BST), it was located about 60 kilometers northeast of Inhambane Province in Mozambique(21.1 degrees south latitude, 35.5 degrees east longitude). The minimum central atmospheric surface pressure was 989 hPa, and the maximum wind was 11 Bft (30 meters per second, equivalent to strong tropical storm in China). Affected by it, heavy to downpour rain occurred in southeastern Mozambique and other areas on the 11th.

Figure 1. Infrared Cloud Image of "Filippo" on March 11, 2024, at 23:00 UTC.

2、Forecast

As forecasted, "FILIPO" will move south-westward at a speed of 15-20 kilometers per hour. It is expected to make landfall in the northeast of Mozambique's Inhambane Province on the 12th. After landfall, its intensity will gradually weaken and it will turn towards the south. Until the 14th, parts of southern Mozambique, Swaziland, and the northeast of South Africa will experience strong wind and rain. There maybe a risk of severe thunderstorms, including heavy to downpour rainfall in some areas, with gales reaching up to 9 to 11 Bft.

Figure 2. Probabilistic forecast of  Filippo's track for the next 96 hours

Figure 3. Forecast of Precipitation Amounts in the Vicinity of Mozambique from 00:00 on March 12 to 12:00 on March 14, 2024 (World Time)

Author: Guo Nannan                                   Reviewer: Meng Qingtao 

English reviewer: Wang Yi                         Issue approver: Dai Kan