Heavy rains that hit Dar es Salaam since midweek have touched off transport woes in various parts of the city, with the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) projecting more heavy rains over the weekend.

A heavy downpour at midmorning on Thursday led to the closure of a section of Morogoro Road at Jangwani, disrupting movement to and from the city center, while weather experts cautioned that expected downpours could lead to flooding in some residential areas.

Thursday downpours were expected to cover Mara, Kagera, Geita, Simiyu, Mwanza, Shinyanga, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Singida, Dodoma, Kigoma, Tabora and Katavi regions, while more rainfall yesterday was predicted for Mara, Geita, Simiyu, Mwanza, Shinyanga, Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Manyara, while expanding to Singida.

Rains across the two days were similarly felt in Dodoma, Tabora, Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Coast, Lindi, Mtwara and Unguja and Pemba islands, the statement indicated, highlighting that today, heavy rains are billed for Mara, Kagera, Geita, Simiyu, Mwanza, Shinyanga, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Singida, Dodoma and Tabora.

Back in January, TMA issued lower than average rainfall prospects for the long rains this year, though there are dangers of flooding from heavy rainfall even when it occurs in a sporadic fashion, as has been the case this week.

The long rains cover March to May and constitute the predominant rainy season in many regions, while others have end of year rains as their more important rainy season, TMA urged stakeholders to prepare countermeasures to mitigate potential impacts.

The prediction affirmed that largely above-normal rainfall is expected in most parts of the northeastern highlands and eastern areas of Mara and Simiyu regions, while fairly below-normal rainfall was predicted for the northern coast, northern Kigoma and Lake Victoria Basin areas, including Kagera, Geita, Mwanza, Shinyanga and western parts of Simiyu and Mara regions.

This year’s long rains took off sporadically in the hinterland of the commercial capital and only this week started to be strongly felt in major suburbs bordering the city centre zone, while February, earlier expected to see considerable amounts of rainfall largely went unnoticed.

Rains commenced in earnest during the first and second weeks of this month in most areas of the Lake Victoria Basin and the northern coast, and during the second and third weeks of March 2025 in the northeastern highlands.

Dr Ladislaus Chang’a, the TMA director general, projected excessive moisture and flooding in some areas, hampering crop growth in areas receiving above-normal rainfall.

Additionally, rising water levels in reservoirs and rivers could lead to flooding in vulnerable areas, he stated, as administrators still smart from the Nyerere Dam over-flooding in Rufiji towards the end of the long rains last year.

Potential outbreaks of waterborne diseases from contaminated water sources exist, in which case administrators in risk areas need to take up weather updates to plan for mitigation of risks and maximize the benefits of the rains, he added.