Own Correspondent|Kariba Dam levels are at their lowest since 1996, according to Zambezi River Authority data.

The levels are now at 10% of usable storage putting at risk the hydropower of Zambia and Zimbabwe which both rely on the man-made lake for half their electricity.

That level is even lower than the 11% of 2016.

Both countries are going through their worst droughts in four decades.

The low levels of water running through Kariba has resulted in crippling power cuts running over 18 hours daily in both countries.

Zambia and Zimbabwe’s meteorological departments expect a higher than normal rainy season while international weather services claim the opposite.