The western side of Tropical Cyclone Gezani clipped the coast of Mozambique near Inhambane on Friday night. At 10:00 p.m. EST on Friday the center of Tropical Cyclone Gezani was located at latitude 24.4°S and longitude 35.8°E which put the center about 35 miles (55 km) southeast of Inhambane, Mozambique. Gezani was moving toward the south-southwest at 11 m.p.h. (17 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 110 m.p.h. (175 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 960 mb.
Tropical Cyclone Gezani was the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale when it clipped the coast of Mozambique on Friday night. A circular eye with a diameter of 20 miles (32 km) was present at the center of Gezani’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Gezani’s circulation. Storms near the center of Gezani generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical cyclone. The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.
The circulation around Tropical Cyclone Gezani was small. Winds to hurricane/typhoon force extended out 35 miles (55 km) from the center of Gezani’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 90 miles (145 km) from the center of Tropical Cyclone Gezani.
The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Tropical Cyclone Gezani was 19.2. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 12.9 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 32.1. Tropical Cyclone Gezani was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Sally when Sally hit Alabama in 2020.
Tropical Cyclone Gezani will move through an environment that will become less favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Gezani will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move under the eastern side of an upper level trough that is over South Africa. The upper level trough will produce northwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Gezani’s circulation. Those winds will cause the vertical wind shear to increase. Tropical Cyclone Gezani is likely to maintain its intensity during the next 24 hours.
The upper level trough will start to steer Tropical Cyclone Gezani toward the south-southeast during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Cyclone Gezani will start to move away from the coast of central Mozambique on Saturday.
Bands in the western half of Tropical Cyclone Gezani circulation will continue to bring strong winds and locally heavy rain to the region near Inhambane during the next few hours. Heavy rain could cause flash floods in some locations.
