Tropical Cyclone Idai dropped heavy rain on parts of Mozambique and Zimbabwe on Friday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Cyclone Idai was located at latitude 19.0°S and longitude 32.5°E which put it about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Mutare, Zimbabwe.  Idai was moving toward the west-northwest at 7 m.p.h. (11 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 985 mb.

Although the wind speeds around Tropical Cyclone Idai decreased steadily on Friday, the circulation remained very well organized.  An inner rainband wrapped most of the way around a well defined center of circulation.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Idai.  The strongest bands were occurring in the southern half of the circulation.  Storms near the core of the circulation were still generating upper level divergence which was pumping mass away from the tropical cyclone.

Tropical Cyclone Idai dropped heavy rain from the coast of central Mozambique near Beira where Idai caused significant damage westward to the eastern Zimbabwe.  Persistent heavy rain was likely causing flooding along some of the rivers in central Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe.  Tropical Cyclone Idai is forecast to continue to move toward the west-northwest and heavy rain is likely to spread over more of Zimbabwe.