at least 155 dead after heavy rains linked to El Niño phenomenon

At least 155 people die in Tanzania due to heavy rains “related to the phenomenon [climatique] El Nino” which caused floods and landslides in several regions of the country, the Prime Minister announced Thursday, April 25, without specifying since when these deaths were recorded. More than 51,000 homes and 200,000 people were affected, around 236 people were injured and more than 10,000 homes were damaged, he added.

Several East African countries have been hit by above-normal rainfall in recent weeks. This year, the rainy season is combining with a new episode of El Niño which began in mid-2023 and could last until May, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

In addition to increasing temperatures, El Niño causes droughts in some parts of the world and heavy rains in others. In Kenya, at least 45 people have been killed since the start of the rainy season in March. Floods on Wednesday in the capital Nairobi left 13 people dead. In Burundi, the authorities have reported 96,000 internally displaced people due to almost incessant rains for several months.