While flood waters of the Zambezi are reported to be receding, the southern coast of Mozambique is now dreading the onslaught of cyclone Favio, which reached land yesterday.

Cyclone Favio has begun sweeping ashore trailing heavy rains and high winds of about 200 km's per hour, bringing dread to the ports, cities and small communities along the southern coast of Mozambique. The cyclone is classified as a "grade four" storm.

The cyclone hit land over the tourist centre of Vilankulos in Inhambane province with powerful winds and torrential rain causing severe damage to the town.

Deputy national director of SOS Children's Villages Mozambique, Tigao Nhangumele, spoke this morning with the mayor of Inhambane Province, Snr Lourenco.

Snr Lourenco confirmed that Vilankulos town had experienced severe damage, with the roof of the local hospital being torn off and several houses and office buildings also being damaged. The mayor also spoke of three fatalities that he was aware of as a direct cause of the cyclone in Vilankulos town.

The mayor was, however, able to confirm that the town of Inhambane, where the fourth SOS Children's Village in Mozambique is situated, 280 km's away from Vilankulos, has not been badly damaged, but is being buffeted by strong winds and heavy rain.

SOS Children's Village Inhambane is due to be opened in the first half of this year and is almost complete. Co-workers are expected to start receiving furniture for the village within the next month and it is not expected that the effects of the cyclone will delay this.

The cyclone is also expected to affect the provinces of Sofala and Gaza as it tracks northward before turning inland. Damage to other inhabited areas along this pathway are not expected to suffer the same amounts of damage as when the cyclone first hit land as the winds and rain will slowly dissipate. Despite this, warnings are still in force in areas such as Tete, where there is another SOS Children's Village as the area is already suffering floods from the amount of water in the Zambezi river, although these waters are now reported to be receding.

SOS Children's Village Maputo has reported cloud, heavy rain, but no wind, while SOS Children's Village Pemba reports stiff winds and squalls of rain. Neither village report any damage, nor expect the cyclone to cause them any damage at all.