Kenya and Tanzania were on alert on Saturday for a cyclone heading towards their Indian Ocean coastlines, threatening to pile on more misery after deadly floods that have ravaged the region.
About 400 people have lost their lives in East Africa and tens of thousands have been uprooted from their homes in recent weeks as torrential rains triggered flooding and landslides engulfed houses, roads and bridges.
Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday described the weather outlook as "dire" and postponed the reopening of schools indefinitely as the nation braced for its first-ever cyclone. Tropical Cyclone Hidaya is projected to make landfall at the weekend on the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts.
Ruto said the storm "is predicted to cause torrential rain, strong winds and powerful and dangerous waves".
Around 210 people have died in Kenya from flood-related incidents and nearly 100 are missing while 165,000 have been forced to flee their homes, according to government data.
"No corner of our country has been spared from this havoc," Ruto said. "Sadly, we have not seen the last of this perilous period."
The Kenya Met Department said Cyclone Hidaya was expected to hit coastal areas with powerful winds surpassing 40 knots and ocean waves over two metres (more than six feet) high.
On Thursday, the interior ministry had ordered anyone living close to major rivers or dams to leave the area within 24 hours or face "mandatory evacuation for their safety".
It warned that 178 dams and water reservoirs were full or almost full and may spill over, posing a risk to people in their vicinity.
Opposition politicians and lobby groups have accused the government of being unprepared and slow to respond despite weather warnings.