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Tanzania cyclone guide

The Idara ya Uratibu wa Maafa (Disaster Management Department, DMD), under the Office of the Prime Minister, coordinates disaster preparedness and response for mainland Tanzania, with sections for operations and coordination, disaster research, and an emergency operation and communication centre. The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) is the national weather service and issues severe weather and cyclone warnings. Tanzania sits close to the equator, where tropical cyclones in the southwest Indian Ocean basin are rare, but Cyclone Hidaya in May 2024 tracked unusually far north and made a direct landfall near Mafia Island on the Tanzanian coast while still at tropical storm strength. Tanzania has also felt heavy rain and rough seas from the remnants and outer bands of other storms that tracked further south, such as cyclones Chido, Dikeledi, and Jude in the 2024 to 2025 season. Tanzania is on this one page.

Checked on November 6, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from the Disaster Management Department (DMD, Idara ya Uratibu wa Maafa), under the Office of the Prime Minister. In an emergency, call 112 for police, 114 for fire, or 115 for an ambulance. Zanzibar has its own line, 190.

What to know in Tanzania

  • The official government portal lists these numbers to call in an emergency inside the country: 111 for crime prevention, 112 for police, 113 to report corruption, 114 for fire and rescue, 115 for an ambulance, 116 for the gender and children's desk, 199 for health, and 190 for Zanzibar.
  • The Disaster Management Department's page describes its goal as rescuing the nation from disasters and emergencies. It has three sections: Operations and Coordination, which plans and runs response and relief work; Disaster Research, which studies hazard-prone areas and runs early warning and public awareness programs; and the Emergency Operation and Communication Centre, which receives and shares emergency information and directs national disaster operations. The page gives no department-specific phone number, only the Prime Minister's Office switchboard.
  • Cyclone Hidaya made landfall near Mafia Island, off the Tanzanian coast south of Dar es Salaam, at about 0300 UTC on 4 May 2024, while at tropical storm strength, after reaching Category 1 hurricane-equivalent intensity at sea. Tropical cyclones rarely reach this far north and close to the equator in the southwest Indian Ocean basin, which made Hidaya's track and strength unusual for the region.
  • TMA's website is meteo.go.tz. It has a page for severe weather alerts and links to its Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre page, though no cyclone warning was posted there when this page was checked. Follow TMA for current warnings rather than assuming a storm is approaching.

Emergency and information numbers

Service Number Notes
Police 112 Polisi. Listed as the police emergency number on the official government portal.
Fire and rescue 114 Zimamoto na Uokoaji, as listed on the official government portal.
Ambulance 115 Gari la Wagonjwa, as listed on the official government portal.
Crime prevention 111 Kuzuia Uhalifu, as listed on the official government portal.
Gender and children's desk 116 Dawati la Jinsia na Watoto, as listed on the official government portal.
Health 199 Afya, as listed on the official government portal.
Zanzibar emergency line 190 Listed only as "Zanzibar" on the government portal's emergency number list, with no further description of which service it reaches.
Office of the Prime Minister (Disaster Management Department's parent office) +255-26-232-2480 General switchboard for the Permanent Secretary's office, Mtumba, Dodoma. The Disaster Management Department's own page lists no separate phone number. Not for emergencies.
Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) +255-26-296-2610 General contact line for TMA headquarters, Ubungo Plaza, Morogoro Road, Dar es Salaam. Not for emergencies.
Tanzania Red Cross Society hotline +255-800-750-150 Free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as listed on the Society's website. A separate counselling line is 0800-750-151.

Official alerts and information

  • TMA severe weather alerts: TMA's page for severe weather alert information. Check the date on each alert. Website.
  • TMA Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre: TMA's regional centre page, linked from its main site. Website.

National resources

  • Disaster Management Department (Idara ya Uratibu wa Maafa), Office of the Prime Minister: Describes the department's role and structure. Mostly in Swahili. Website.
  • Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA): Tanzania's national weather service. Mostly in Swahili, with some English pages. Website.
  • Tanzania Red Cross Society (TRCS): Disaster risk management, response, and relief work, with news on recent flood response. Website.

For state agencies across the country, see the official sources page.

Evacuation centers

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

No official, public list of standing cyclone shelters or evacuation centers was found for Tanzania. Follow the Disaster Management Department, TMA, your regional or local government, and the Tanzania Red Cross for where to go if you need to leave.

Radio, TV and weather

Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.

Official forecasts

  • Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA): Tanzania's national weather service, with forecasts and severe weather alerts. Headquarters at Ubungo Plaza, 3rd Floor, Morogoro Road, Dar es Salaam. Its own domain is meteo.go.tz, not tma.go.tz. Phone: +255-26-296-2610. Website.

After the storm: help for displaced residents

If your home is damaged or you cannot go back, these organizations help with shelter, food, money, and paperwork. Many programs open only after a disaster declaration, so check their pages for current status.

Relief organizations

  • Tanzania Red Cross Society (TRCS): National Red Cross society, with disaster risk management, response, and relief work, including flood and storm response. Hotline is free and runs 24 hours a day. Phone: +255-800-750-150. Website.

Sources

Checked on November 6, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.