Normal to above normal rainfall predicted this cropping season

The Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF) has predicted normal to above normal rainfall in the region during the summer cropping season.

The 29th SARCOF ended in Harare this Wednesday with climate experts from SADC member states coming up with a rainfall forecast for October this year to March next year.

According to the forecast, there will be a transition from an El Nino to a La Nina weather phenomenon, characterised by normal to above-normal rainfall.

The Meteorological Services Department’s director, Rebecca Manzou said, “Bulk of SADC region is expected to receive normal to above normal rainfall from October to December 2024 including Mauritius and central Madagascar, apart from north-western part of Democratic Republic of Congo where above-normal rainfall is expected.

The remainder of the region is likely to have normal to below-normal rainfall during this period of the 2024/25 season including the island states of Comoros and Seychelles.

“The period January to March 2025 is expected to have normal to above normal rainfall for most of the region except for south-western fringes of South Africa, south-eastern and westernmost of DRC, north-western Angola, Tanzania, northern Zambia, northern Malawi, northern Mozambique and the central western tip of Madagascar where normal to below-normal rains are expected including Comoros and Seychelles.

Northern Madagascar is likely to receive above normal rainfall during this period.

Temperatures outlook for the entire 2024/25 rainfall season are expected to be mostly above long-term averages over the whole SADC region.”

The SADC Secretariat also came up with some recommendations for SARCOF in the wake of climate change.

“We need to enhance research and development activities to improve climate modelling, forecasting and early warning systems,” noted the SADC Secretariat Director of Infrastructure, Mapolao Mokoena.

The three-day forum, which was attended by over 200 delegates from the SADC region including climate experts, ran under the theme: ‘At the frontline of climate action towards improved climate services in the SADC region.’

ZBC