VILANKULO, Mozambique, March 14, 2008 (AFP) - Cyclone Jokwe, which has wreaked havoc in Mozambique, was downgraded Friday to a tropical depression, allaying fears of a damaging hit to the tourism town of Vilankulo.

However the cyclone, now heading towards Madagascar, still had Mozambique's coastal regions on yellow alert in case it regained momentum, said Joao Ribeiro, national disaster management institute deputy director.

"I think the cyclone's pressure has decreased due to a cold front on the Mozambican Channel," Ribeiro said.

"We are waiting for official information from the national meteorological services department in order to reclassify the cyclone properly," he told AFP.

He warned the pressure on the cyclone could build up and return to affect coastal parts of Mozambique.

Weather experts were predicting Jokwe would hit Mozambique's southern coastal areas on Friday after it changed course on Thursday and returned to central part of the Mozambican channel.

This prompted fears among residents of Vilankulo, the country's main tourist spot, of a repeat of the extensive damage caused by cyclone Favio in 2007.

Cyclone Jokwe has resulted in the deaths of at least 17 people and displaced thousands more since it hit the southern African country last Saturday.

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Copyright (c) 2008 Agence France-Presse
Received by NewsEdge Insight: 03/14/2008 06:32:56