By Mabinty M. Kamara
Releasing the 2024 seasonal outlook for the rainy season, the Deputy Director General of the Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency (SLMet), Gabriel Kpaka has forecasted low rainfall this rainy season across the country compared to previous seasons.
Presenting the forecast to newsmen at a press briefing held on the 3rd of May 2024 at the agency’s office in Freetown, Kpaka said the operations of the agency including the rainfall seasonal outlook are guided by the World Meteorological Organization.
He added that the tools used to determine the current forecast were the current configuration and future of the ocean surface, data from 1993 to 2023, and the agency’s forecasting tool outputs among others. He emphasised that 30 years baseline data was used.
“Regionally, they are saying that for June, July, August we are going to expect cumulative rainfall below average. That is when you add June, July and August, we are going to have a below average rainfall. Which means there is going to be a deficit of rainfall. Compared to thirty years ago. And the average for cumulative rainfall has been 2000mm and above but all of these stations are recording below 2000mm,”
According to the forecast, Kabala will record a cumulative rainfall of 1020-1040mm, Kono 1110-1210mm, Makeni 1115-1212mm, Port Loko 1310-1410mm, Freetown 1480-1510mm, Bo 1130-1280mm, Bonthe 1210-1310mm, Myamba1000-1110mm, Kailahun 1510-1610mm and Kenema 1310-1410mm.
However, he said there is going to be torrential rains in the period of July, August and September during which there will be a high risk of urban induced flooding, noting there will be a deficit across the country during this period as well.
“This is a lot of rainfall compared to when you go to the eastern part of Africa but Sierra Leone is a place where we used to record a rainfall of even 3000mm in a location but now imagine for July, August and September we are within the 1000mm of rain,” he said.
This he said will affect the planting season for farmers, saying that places like Bo, Makeni and Kailahun will experience early rainfall which will results in early planting season, noting that the rest of the other areas like, Kabala, Kenema, Kono Bonthe, Freetown, Moyamba and Bonthe are going to have late rainfall. “So there is going to be a late planting season for these areas except if they are going to rely on irrigation,” he said.
Kpaka noted that the sea surface temperature is going to be warm, according to the regional outlook.
Speaking on the cessation of the rains, he said there is going to be late end of the rainy season across the country with the exception of Freetown which will experience normal end of rains. He also noted that strong wind is expected in the months of July and August, saying that May and June will record low winds. And that there will be an increase in the temperature, noting that it will be cold but as it used to be in the rainy season.
Due to the assessment, the Agency recommended the avoidance of residing in flood prone areas, Clear Sewer channels to facilitate evacuation of rain water, monitor dam water levels and maintenance dams where necessary, investment in high yielding crops, support farmers access to improved varieties and for a system to collect runoff water among others.
Officials of the National Disaster Management Agency in the weekly government press conference recently spoke of their disaster response preparedness ahead of the season.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (06/05/24)
