DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains beginning on Saturday night brought transport and businesses to a standstill in parts of Tanzania, including the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam.

In Dar es Salaam, transport came to a standstill as the main road connecting the eastern suburbs to the commercial city of Dar es Salaam was flooded for hours. Several other ravines criss-crossing the commercial hub of over 5 million people were also flooded, cutting off communication.

Police cordoned off the Jangwani area after the Msimbazi River was over-flooded, halting operations of Dar es Salaam Rapid Transport, the commercial hub's leading public transporter.

Flash floods submerged houses in some parts of the commercial hub as Albert Chalamila, the Dar es Salaam regional commissioner, urged residents in the valley and along riverbanks to relocate to higher grounds to avoid catastrophic consequences.

No casualties were reported by Sunday afternoon, the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) told Xinhua over the phone, adding that the TMA will continue monitoring the weather trends in the country and provide feedback when necessary.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Sunday directed relevant authorities to get prepared to fix damage caused by ongoing rains in different parts of the country. She said ministries responsible for water, energy, and works should get prepared to offer emergency services in areas affected by the rains, urging for more efforts to rehabilitate roads and bridges damaged by the torrential rains across the country.

The TMA on Saturday issued a high alert saying short periods of heavy rains were expected for five consecutive days in some parts of the country. It said in a statement that the rains were expected to cause flooding in transport and businesses, and damage to property and infrastructure in Dar es Salaam, Coast, Tanga, Morogoro, Ruvuma, Njombe, Iringa, Mtwara, Lindi, Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Manyara regions, and Zanzibar. Enditem

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