KEY POINTS:
At least four people and died and scores have been injured after a cyclone ripped through central Mozambique yesterday.
Winds reached 170mph as Cyclone Favio powered its way through homes and hotels in the tourist town of Vilanculos.
Authorities in Zimbabwe were last night warning residents that the cyclone, now downgraded to a tropical storm, would hit low lying areas in the east of the country over the weekend.
The cyclone destroyed thousands of homes in Mozambique, also hitting hospitals and schools.
Electricity pylons were ripped up, trees uprooted and fields full of crops such as cassava and maize were washed away.
In Vilanculos, 600 prisoners escaped when the local jail was destroyed.
The town's mayor, Selmane Amugy, said the cyclone had hit the coast during the night while most people were still sleeping.
"There are no words to describe the drama, I haven't seen such a thing in my life," he told Reuters news agency.
A resident, 35-year-old Mario Muaca said his house had been destroyed.
"I think this is a catastrophe," he said.
The worst may yet be to come.
Mozambqiue has already been hit by severe flooding over the past few weeks which has made more than 120,000 people homeless.
Continuing rainfall in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi is likely to put more pressure on the Zambezi river, causing more flooding downstream in Mozambique.
Cyclone Favio hit the same area affected by the flooding - it ploughed through Caia where the government's disaster relief operation is based.
A second storm, Cyclone Gamede, was just north of Madagascar yesterday with forecasters in the region predicting it could hit the same area of Mozambique on Sunday.
The Red Cross appealed for more aid yesterday as they warned that the number of diarrhoea cases among the displaced was rising, increasing the risk of a cholera epidemic.
"After the floods there has been a slow water decline," said Oxfam's Caroline Hooper-Box, "but it is possible that the cyclone brings heavy rain which will raise the water level again. We are very worried about the threat of a health emergency. There is not enough water and sanitation."
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