Meteorologists have confirmed the slow arrival of an inland depression in Mozambique by Saturday.
It is expected to develop further by next week, resulting in 200mm of heavy rains.
This is at the same time that Cyclone GRANT is reportedly 56 km away from Cocos Islands, in Australia, and is expected to pass through on Christmas morning, bringing heavy rains and damaging winds.
Authorities urged residents to stay indoors during the storm because wind speed is expected at 100 kilometres an hour.
Climate Intelligence For Agriculture Business and Policy -NGA Agroclimate Tech, said its weather models show the system will stall over the Mozambique Channel, affecting parts of Mozambique, Madagascar, Southern parts of Malawi, eastern Zambia and eastern Zimbabwe, on Friday into Saturday.
Current monitoring shows no threat to South Africa.
Meteorologists from the Severe Weather Information Centre (Swaicsa) say the system expected in Mozambique is not cyclone GRANT.
Dr Angelo Hoorn, from Swaicsa says as of Friday morning, this system is a tropical low, not expected to reach tropical cyclone status over the next days.
It will actually go from low to very low.
He also said these systems are erratic and require close monitoring.
Source of information: Meteo France Reunion, Zoom-Earth, WINDY and MCU.