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Kenya Airways has issued an advisory against heavy winds and rains set to be witnessed in several African countries on the Indian Ocean side.

In a statement on Saturday, December 14, 2024, KQ advised its customers of the cancellation of flights in the affected countries expected to be hit by the effects of the tropical cyclone Chido which developed in the South-Eastern Indian Ocean basin between December 7-8, 2024.

“Tropical Cyclone Chido is expected to hit the islands of Comoros, and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean as well as other countries from today. Government authorities in both countries have put out alerts in relation to the impact of the cyclone which is expected to last until Monday, December 16, 2024,” Kenya Airways said in the statement.

“To ensure the safety of our staff and customers, our flights into Comoros and Mayotte have been temporarily suspended. We sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience this may cause. The safety of our customers and that of our staff is our number one priority.”

Solidarity with affected countries

“Our prayers are for the safety and wellbeing of the people that will be impacted by these adverse weather conditions. We are monitoring the weather situation and plan to resume flights on Monday, December 16, 2024, once the adverse weather conditions have improved significantly,” KQ added.

KQ advised affected passengers to and from the affected countries to check their website for flight schedule information or talk to their customer service agents.

The tropical cyclone Chido is expected to hit the north of Madagascar, then near Glorioso, Mayotte and the Comoros archipelago before proceeding with a destructive trajectory westward.

The cyclone is expected to intensify further before hitting northern provinces of Mozambique with waves expected to reach as high as 8 metres.

Cyclone Chido effects

Heavy rains are expected in the regions set to experience the effects of the tropical typhoon heading towards the African side.

The countries bracing for tropical cyclone Chido are Madagascar, Comoros, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique and Seychelles.

However, countries expected to receive more than normal rainfall due to the cyclone in the region are Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Southern parts of Tanzania and Northern parts of South Africa.