Southern Africa Floods Claim 300 Lives, Driven by Climate Change

An estimated 300 people have lost their lives due to extreme flooding across parts of southern Africa, a catastrophic event described as a one-in-50-year occurrence, exacerbated by climate change.

Nearly 800,000 individuals have been affected by the severe rains that commenced in December, according to an update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released on Thursday.

In Mozambique, the country hardest hit by the flooding, preliminary estimates indicate that rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure will cost approximately $644 million. This financial burden will further strain a government already facing tight budgets and an economy struggling to recover from recession. At least 820,000 people in this impoverished nation have been impacted by the extreme weather.

Read more: South Africa Declares National Disaster After Deadly Floods

South Africa’s Kruger National Park, one of the continent’s largest wildlife preserves, is part of a vast area that received the highest rainfall on record over a span of 10 days this month. Mozambique, which borders South Africa to the east, has issued warnings to residents after crocodiles were spotted swimming in a submerged provincial capital.

In some regions, rainfall levels reached what is typically expected over an entire year within just a few days.

World Weather Attribution, a consortium of researchers from institutions including Imperial College London and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, released a report on Thursday stating that the tropical low-pressure system responsible for the January flooding was a one-in-50-year event in the current climate context.

The report highlighted that the La Niña weather phenomenon intensified the 10-day rainfall by approximately 22%, with global warming contributing to nearly double that effect. However, researchers noted that model limitations for the region make it challenging to accurately estimate the extent of climate change’s impact.

“We are confident that climate change has increased both the likelihood and intensity of the 10-day rainfall, based on observed signals, physical understanding, and existing literature,” the researchers stated.

Counting Losses

According to the Southern African Development Community bloc, at least 1.3 million people have been affected, with 560,000 displaced across the impacted countries.

Authorities in Mozambique are still assessing the damage, as long stretches of roads have been completely destroyed while floodwaters recede. Some comparisons have been made to the devastating floods that claimed hundreds of lives in the nation approximately 26 years ago.

“Early assessments indicate that the scale and impact of this disaster surpass those of the catastrophic floods of 2000, widely regarded as the worst in southern Africa’s living memory,” stated the Peace Parks Foundation, which manages nature reserves in Mozambique that were affected by the flooding.

Photograph: This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)

Related:

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics
Flood
Climate Change

An estimated 300 people have lost their lives due to extreme flooding across parts of southern Africa, a catastrophic event described as a one-in-50-year occurrence, exacerbated by climate change.

Nearly 800,000 individuals have been affected by the severe rains that commenced in December, according to an update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released on Thursday.

In Mozambique, the country hardest hit by the flooding, preliminary estimates indicate that rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure will cost approximately $644 million. This financial burden will further strain a government already facing tight budgets and an economy struggling to recover from recession. At least 820,000 people in this impoverished nation have been impacted by the extreme weather.

Read more: South Africa Declares National Disaster After Deadly Floods

South Africa’s Kruger National Park, one of the continent’s largest wildlife preserves, is part of a vast area that received the highest rainfall on record over a span of 10 days this month. Mozambique, which borders South Africa to the east, has issued warnings to residents after crocodiles were spotted swimming in a submerged provincial capital.

In some regions, rainfall levels reached what is typically expected over an entire year within just a few days.

World Weather Attribution, a consortium of researchers from institutions including Imperial College London and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, released a report on Thursday stating that the tropical low-pressure system responsible for the January flooding was a one-in-50-year event in the current climate context.

The report highlighted that the La Niña weather phenomenon intensified the 10-day rainfall by approximately 22%, with global warming contributing to nearly double that effect. However, researchers noted that model limitations for the region make it challenging to accurately estimate the extent of climate change’s impact.

“We are confident that climate change has increased both the likelihood and intensity of the 10-day rainfall, based on observed signals, physical understanding, and existing literature,” the researchers stated.

Counting Losses

According to the Southern African Development Community bloc, at least 1.3 million people have been affected, with 560,000 displaced across the impacted countries.

Authorities in Mozambique are still assessing the damage, as long stretches of roads have been completely destroyed while floodwaters recede. Some comparisons have been made to the devastating floods that claimed hundreds of lives in the nation approximately 26 years ago.

“Early assessments indicate that the scale and impact of this disaster surpass those of the catastrophic floods of 2000, widely regarded as the worst in southern Africa’s living memory,” stated the Peace Parks Foundation, which manages nature reserves in Mozambique that were affected by the flooding.

Photograph: This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)

Related:

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics
Flood
Climate Change