Severe tropical cyclone Chido could cause urban flooding and erosion in the provincial capitals of northern Mozambique, according to a warning from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD).

The city of Nacala, in Nampula province, the city of Lichinga, in Niassa, and the town and city of Pemba, in Cabo Delgado are on high alert due to the phenomenon's permanence in national territory.

The phenomenon, which entered the mainland of Mozambique at level 4 from the districts of Memba in Nampula province and Mecúfi in Cabo Delgado, also affected Niassa province, but on a smaller scale.

A statement from the INGD indicates that, overall, the cyclone continues to cause "very heavy rainfall of over 250 mm/24h, accompanied by thunderstorms and winds with very strong gusts".

The phenomenon will affect around 47 districts in those three provinces, with the likelihood of flooding extending to the low-lying and riverside areas of the Muaguide and Megaruma river basins (in Cabo Delgado), the Lúrio river and the Marrupa district in Niassa.

Chido is the third of the 12 cyclones forecast for the current cyclone season in the Mozambique Channel. The season runs until April 2025.