What Causes Flooding in Africa? These are the Facts!

Extreme weather has hit Africa. Since December 2025, heavy rains have occurred for several weeks in Africa. What causes flooding in Africa? Not only a country, but a flash flood hit three countries in Africa. Many other factors also influence. There is a large material impact because of the massive damage. Moreover, the fatalities reached more than 100 people. The impact is very serious. All of these stop life completely.

What Causes Flooding in Africa?

A flood in Africa is considered an extreme disaster due to its strong currents and high discharge. It has become the most serious condition in the past decade. It is caused by extreme weather and other additional factors.

1. Heavy Rains

Heavy rains, as the extreme weather in Africa, began on December 26^th, 2025, until the peak season in early January. During this rainy season in Africa, there was an extreme flood struck three countries. The extreme rains reached over 200 mm in a single day in some regions. This condition lasts for several weeks and has caused the three African countries to be hit by flash floods.

2. Lightning and Storm

A flash flood occurred in three countries in Africa. This disaster started with the occurrence of a strong storm and lightning. At the end, the extreme flood inundated residential areas, public facilities, and infrastructure. The affected areas were automatically in a tense condition. The water level increases with a strong current, and a flash flood occurred at the end. So, the impact of the heavy rains is worsened.

3. Massive and Unplanned Urbanization

Urbanization in Africa is massive and unplanned. As a result, population growth is not accompanied by appropriate urban planning. Many settlements are densely populated. Drainage is also very limited, preventing large volumes of rainwater from being drained quickly. This has been a problem for several years.

4. Deforestation

Deforestation for timber sales or land conversion is a cause of flooding. A significant amount of land in catchment areas and river basins has been converted for construction. Consequently, the risk of flooding increases.

The Facts of Flooding in Africa

What causes flooding in Africa? Many changes occurred after the extreme flooding caused by heavy rainfall. Here are some facts about the floods that hit Africa.

1. A Flash Flood Hit Africa

A flash flood is categorized as an extreme disaster. The actual case is a flood in Africa that occurred in January 2026. Since December 2025, heavy rains have been the causing factor hit Africa. Several African countries. The extreme flood is a flash flood, a strong current, and a high exhaust power flood. It has very quickly spread to three countries in Africa.

2. Causing Fatalities, Injuries, and Missing Persons

The causes of floods in Africa are so extreme. They are a very strong factor that pushes a strong current flood. Unfortunately, the impacts are very serious. This hydrometeorological disaster caused fatalities. In South Africa, the fatalities have reached 30, with the total in the three countries being over 100. Furthermore, there have been several cases of injuries and missing persons.

3. Massive Damage

Besides causing fatalities, the floods in Africa caused massive damage. The residential areas were submerged by a flash flood, and more than 1,300 homes were damaged. Automatically, the activities totally stopped because of the massive damage. Furthermore, the infrastructure and public facilities also suffered severe damage.

4. Mozambique is the Most Affected Country

Mozambique was the worst-affected country in Africa. The impacts are very serious and complex. The transportation and other services were constrained because of the massive damage of infrastructure. Food shortages and sanitation are serious problems. Evacuation and aid distribution were hampered. During the evacuation process, helicopters were deployed to rescue residents trapped by the floods.

5. Declared National Disaster Status

The post-flood situation worsened. A terrible chaos occurred in South Africa because of a flash flood. Due to this extreme condition, the South African Government has declared a national disaster status. The declaration given after many case of fatalities and missing people in two provinces in South Africa (Limpopo and Mpumalanga). The fatalities have reached 30, and several others are missing.

The positive impact after the declaration is accelerating the evacuation and recovery program. All parties at the national and regional levels worked together to implement a national mitigation program. This effort was implemented by the South African government, regional governments, and relevant agencies.

6. Extreme Weather is Predicted until February

This extreme weather, including heavy rainfall, is predicted by meteorological authorities that continue into February. Thus, the rainy season is not yet over. The threat of heavy rain and flooding remains. This is particularly concerning, given the high flood risk previously reported.

What causes flooding in Africa? The extreme climate in Africa causes flooding in many regions. Disaster management programs must be implemented immediately. To improve response, a real-time warning system is needed. In addition to sirens or alarms, warning signals can be sent in the form of emergency messages. This way, the public receives comprehensive information in real time on their mobile phones.

Emergency messages can be sent using a sending message based on SMS (Short Message Service). This system has a wide range, from 500 meters to 2 kilometers, and can be accessed by all operators. The government can procure this sophisticated system through the website smsbroadcaster.com.