Heavy rains that hit several parts of the country on Wednesday, March 18, left two children dead, four other people injured, according to officials.

The rains also destroyed more than 30 hectares of crops.

The children aged 4 and 3 drowned in the Kabimbiro River in Karongi District, according to the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management.

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Both were pupils at a nursery school in Mutuntu Sector. By the time of reporting, one of their bodies had not yet been recovered.

Four people were also affected by the weather, including three who were struck by lightning. In Rwamagana District, two women aged 29 and 34 were hospitalised after the incident, while a man was injured in Gitoki Sector, Gatsibo District.

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In Kayonza District, a 12-year-old girl was injured after strong winds damaged local infrastructure.

The rains also caused losses in agriculture. The ministry reported more 30 hectares of crops that were destroyed in Kabarore Sector, Gatsibo District.

The affected crops include maize, beans, bananas, sorghum and cassava. 18 water tanks were also damaged.

Property and infrastructure were also damaged. Strong winds blew off roofs of houses in several districts, including Nyamasheke, Kayonza, Gicumbi, Nyagatare and Kicukiro, leaving dozens of families without shelter.

In Ndego Sector, Kayonza District, winds damaged seven classrooms at EP Amahoro and a church.

In Musanze District, lightning struck a power transformer, disrupting electricity supply before it was restored by the Rwanda Energy Group.

According to Rwanda Meteorology Agency (Meteo Rwanda), the country is expected to receive slightly above-normal rainfall during the March to May season.

The agency’s forecasts show that rainfall will range between 280 and 800 millimetres, compared to the long-term average of 270 to 770 millimetres.

The weather outlook links with a combination of climate factors, including neutral El Niño conditions, the Indian Ocean Dipole, the Madden-Julian Oscillation, and the northward movement of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, all of which are expected to increase moisture in the region.