A tropical cyclone is expected to make landfall in Mozambique late Thursday or early Friday, just a month after parts of the country were devastated by Cyclone Idai.

Tropical Cyclone Kenneth is expected to impact Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, further north than where Idai hit.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said more than 700,000 people live in the cyclone's path and warned of a ‘significant risk’ of flash and river flooding.

The provincial government in Cabo Delgado has started evacuations, and some 30,000 people have been taken to safe areas, the National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) said in a statement.

Schools and public institutions are closed, while Mozambican airline LAM has cancelled flights to Cabo Delgado.

INGC has said some evacuation helicopters and boats being used in Beira as part of relief efforts for Cyclone Idai will be relocated to Cabo Delgado.

Idai caused massive flooding, killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe when it hit in March.

Cyclone Kenneth is also expected to impact Tanzania, the Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) said.

By Friday afternoon, Cyclone Kenneth was forecast to have strong winds of between 100 and 140 kilometres per hour, TMA director general Agnes Kijazi said.

The cyclone is expected to stay on land until Monday, according to Kijazi.

‘People should take all necessary precautions to ensure they are safe,’ Kijazi added, noting that all schools will remain closed on Friday.

Regional commssioner Gelasius Byakanwa told dpa about 1,000 people have already taken refuge in camps and shelters.

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