THE Hydrological Services of Namibia has warned communities in the northern and north-eastern parts of the country to be on high alert for possible flooding as water levels there continue to rise.
The services, which falls under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, issued this warning in its latest daily flood bulletin released last week.
According to the bulletin the Zambezi, Kavango and Kunene rivers continue to rise.
The bulletin said communities living in the Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, Kunene, Kavango West and Kavango East regions, including communities on the eastern Zambezi floodplains, should be on high alert for possible flooding.
“We don’t expect the previous flood records to be reached, but the current floods and its possible impact must be rated exceptional,” it read.
According to readings, the Kavango River continues to rise and has maintained its rapid rise at Rundu and Divundu Bridge where it recorded 7,61 m and 4,41 m respectively and is understood to be above its normal level.
The bulletin says the highest peak recorded at Rundu was 8,9 m on 8 April 1969.
It said the flow of water in the Kunene River at Ruacana station remains high at 613,6 cubic meters per second (m3/s) recorded on Thursday morning.
Although the floodwaters in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin are levelling off, it said water levels in the iishanas remain high and, therefore, flood alert measures still need to be taken in the areas covering the central zone of the Cuvelai system.
The water level at the Zambezi River at Katima currently stands at 6,49 m, with its highest peak recorded on 10 April 1969 at 8,16 m, and would continue to rise in the coming days.
In addition, the bulletin said eastern Zambezi floodplains continue to rapidly fill up and there are strong backflows towards Ngoma Bridge and Lake Liambezi, while the water levels of the Chobe River at Chobe Water Villas remain high recording about 6,42 m on Thursday morning.
– Nampa
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