As the rains have started to pour in various parts of the country, scientists have warned that flood-prone areas are still at a great risk.
This is despite the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) predicting that the 2025/2026 rainfall season will start from October 2025 to March 2026, bringing normal to above-normal totals.
Lecturer in the Earth Sciences Department at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Agnes Hamisi, mentioned that areas like Soche in Blantyre that were previously affected by floods are still at risk, though the level of risk depends on several factors.
She added that If no major improvements have been made since the last floods, the threat remains nearly the same.
“Soche and other hilly or low-lying areas have natural water flow patterns. If people continue building in flood-prone zones or if drainage systems remain poor, the risk of flooding stays high even with just heavy seasonal rains, not necessarily a cyclone,” Hamisi said.
Head of Public Weather & Aviation Services at DCCMS, Yobu Kachiwanda, said such places are ‘watch areas in the event of heavy rains’.
“Heavy downpours will pose a significant threat, potentially causing severe soil erosion and localized flash flooding , which could devastate crops and vital infrastructure,” Kachiwanda said.
In a recent statement from the DCCMS it revealed that the November rainfall forecast indicates a likelihood of normal to below-normal rainfall situation across the country.
The monthly rainfall totals are likely to range between 50 and 100 mm.
