By Mabinty M. Kamara
A forecast of the seasonal outlook for the 2023 rainy season by the Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency (SLMet) has predicted low rainfall across the country.
Presenting the forecast to newsmen at a press briefing held on the 5th of May 2023, the Deputy Director of SLMet Gabriel Parker said the operations of the agency including the rainfall seasonal outlook are guided by the World Metrological Organization.
He added that the tools used to determine the current forecast were the current configuration and future of the ocean surface, data from 1992 to 2022, and the agency’s forecasting tool outputs among others. He noted the 30 years baseline data was used.
The regional forecast presented indicates a normal to below cumulative rainfall across the country in June, July, and August and below average across the country in July, August, and September.
He added that there will be late onset of rain across most parts of the country with no dry spells in 10 days except for Koinadugu district in the Northern part of the country.
“But the overall is there is going to be a deficit. The deficit is the total amount of rainfall, not the rainy days. There are going to be rainy days but the total amount of rainfall is going to be reduced compared to the 30 years data that have been used,” he said.
This he said has an effect on the planting season for farmers, saying that there will be late planting for this year due to the dry spell recorded; which he said is a period of 10 days within which a rainfall of 20mm will not be recorded in a rainy season.
“For farmers, they want to plant on a date that you will have 20mm and more of rain within three days. Not only a drop of rain. So all over, it is saying, for farmers, they are going to have a late to normal which means for farmers, they going to have a late planting season if they are going to use their normal varieties. But if you want to plant using other varieties, then you will have to do irrigation but if it’s going to be rain-fed, then it has to be late,” he warned.
However, Parker noted that there will be torrential rain which may lead to flooding.
“Flooding is going to happen except we try to take the measures because we will get some torrential rains and then, the threshold for torrential rain is 20mm. So if we don’t clean our drainages, expand them, then, when we have even two to three hours of rain that can cause for example the rainfall-induced urban flooding,” he said. He also noted land use and poor urban planning as contributing factors to the floods.
Other risks forecasted by the agency are Strong and Dusty winds, Thunderstorms and lightning, Coastal area flooding, Pest /insect outbreak, and the development of germs.
To mitigate these issues highlighted, the agency presented a number of recommendations which include avoid residing in flood-prone areas, strengthening the monitoring of response capacities of agencies and enhancing the communication of seasonal forecasts produced by SLMet, strengthening the communication of the daily and updated version of weather forecasts and alerts, strengthening the protective dikes and ensure the maintenance of dams and road infrastructures, clean sewer channels to facilitate the evacuation of rainwater, raise awareness and disseminate warning information for all sectors, avoid contacts with contaminated waters through drainage and gutter cleaning operations.
Farming in Sierra Leone is mostly subsistent with heavy reliance on rains for the plants. Most farmers also lack the requisite skills necessary to ensure good yields at the end of the planting season.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (05/05/23)
