After Hidaya, now Cyclone Laly strikes east Africa; two dead, dozens injured in Kenya, Somalia

Barely two weeks after Cyclone Hidaya struck the East African coastline, Cyclone Laly wreaked havoc in the region on Tuesday evening, killing two people in Kenya and impacting dozens in Somalia.

Cyclone Laly, which intensified from a tropical storm, unleashed strong winds, heavy rain and high waves across the West Indian Ocean region.

In Somalia, the cyclone made landfall in the southwestern and southern regions, including the capital, Mogadishu. In Kenya’s Kilifi County at the coast, police confirmed the death of a four-year-old schoolgirl after strong winds tore off the roof of a classroom. Also, a warehouse worker perished when a wall collapsed on her and injured others in her company. 

Read our entire coverage of Cyclone Hidaya

Speaking to the press, Kilifi North Deputy County Commissioner Samuel Mutisya confirmed the deaths, adding that several schools in the county were affected by the strong winds. “The wind has blown off the roofs of several schools and we are appealing to teachers not to allow pupils to conduct classes in dilapidated rooms with loose roofs,” said Mutisya. 

Somalia’s disaster management agency had warned about the Tropical Cyclone Laly, which made landfall in the southwestern and southern regions, as well as the capital of Mogadishu.

“The people living near the coastal areas are advised to be on high alert and exercise extreme caution,” the Somali Disaster Management Agency said in its advisory to the public.

Prior to the cyclone, the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) issued a warning to the public: 

Tropical Storm Laly intensified into a tropical cyclone, marking a historic event in the southwest Indian Ocean basin. Positioned just 250 kilometres from Pemba Island and less than 300 km from Mombasa, it’s a rare occurrence within this latitude range.

KMD assured citizens that Cyclone Laly would weaken by Wednesday, bringing rain, storms and winds to coastal regions. “Stay safe and informed! Moderate to rough sea conditions are forecasted, with waves of 1.5-3.6 metres expected. A marine forecast warns of strong south-easterly winds and advises small boats to avoid deep-sea areas. Residents in coastal regions, take precautions and stay updated with the Met department,” read a statement from the department.

The adverse weather has left residents of the Kenyan coast region stranded and has disrupted essential services such as electricity and water supply. The Coast Water Works Development Agency in Kenya announced interruptions in water supply in Kilifi and Mombasa counties due to power outages as transmission cables were damaged by uprooted trees. 

Despite the limited impact of cyclones Hidaya and Laly, the short interval between their occurrences is a stark reminder of the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events due to climate change. The two events, together with the ongoing heavy rains and floods in parts of East Africa, underscored the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities in East Africa.

According to KMD, tropical cyclones typically develop at latitudes between 5° and 30° North or 5° and 30° South of the equator in tropical oceans. They do not form within 5° of the equator because of a lack of sufficient Coriolis force, an apparent force caused by the earth’s rotation.

KMD added that it is also because of the Hadley Cell, at which the winds deflate southward or northward. Kenya lies within Latitude 4° North and South, so it is safe from deadly tropical cyclones. 

In both incidents, the cyclones took a relatively shorter period. In the case of Laly, KMD said in a statement: “As of May 22 at 3:16 pm East Africa Time, Laly has dissipated, with the system filling up during the day. It will be remembered as the most northerly tropical cyclone, reaching 4.7°S.”

Regarding the wind and pressure, KMD said: “At its last observation, Laly had maximum winds of 55 kilometres per hour (averaged over 10 minutes) and maximum gusts of 75 km / h, with an estimated pressure at the center of 1,002 hPa.”

Cyclone Laly’s aftermath has prompted experts to emphasise the importance of resilient building practices and effective early warning systems to mitigate the impact of such natural disasters in the future. 

In Kenya alone, the ongoing heavy rains and floods have killed at least 291 people, while an estimated 55,676 families have been displaced, with more than 10,000 acres of cropland destroyed between March 1 and May 16 2024, according to the National Disaster Operations Centre. 

Besides the looming food shortage, the Kenyan government will need Sh 26-30 billion to restore critical infrastructure destroyed by floods and heavy rains, according to the roads and transport cabinet secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.

“We have been hit hard by the heavy rains as a country and my ministry has suffered the most destruction. A lot of roads and bridges have been destroyed,” said Murkomen while responding to questions in the Parliament.

Murkomen said the ministry has initially assessed the damage and loss and will do another one after the rain subsides.

We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.