Mozambican authorities say 158,000 people could be affected by Cyclone Freddy in its epicentre in the central province of Zambezia.

The cyclone is expected to make landfall on the coast of central Mozambique late on Friday.

Cyclone Freddy is headed back to Mozambique after it wreaked havoc in late February. It could end up in the record books for the longest-lasting tropical storm on record.

The national agency for natural disasters says 8,000 of those affected could be in need of immediate humanitarian assistance, according to their projections.

The provincial government has ordered the closure of all schools from this Friday.