Most Parts of East Africa Likely to be Dry
SCIENCE AFRICA
Though rainfall is expected in some parts of the East African region in the next seven days, drier than usual conditions are expected over most parts of Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, northern and southern Tanzania, southern South Sudan and southern Somalia.
This is according to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Centre ( ICPAC).
Further, northern Sudan, Djibouti, north-western Ethiopia, south-eastern South Sudan, northern and eastern Kenya and most parts of Tanzania are likely to remain generally dry with light rainfall expected over southern Sudan, most parts of South Sudan, parts of western and southern Ethiopia, central to northern Uganda, western and coastal Kenya, coastal Tanzania, Burundi, and southern Somalia.
Additionally, ICPAC says that wetter than usual conditions are expected over cross-border regions of Sudan-South Sudan, Ethiopia-Somalia and parts of southern and western Ethiopia with heavy rainfall likely to be experienced in some parts of southern and western Ethiopia whereas north-western South Sudan, south-western Uganda, parts of western and southern Ethiopia into northern Somalia are expected to receive moderate rainfall.
During this period, ICPAC notes that hot conditions with temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius are expected over parts of the Afar region in Ethiopia with moderate temperatures between 20 – 32 degrees Celsius expected over most parts of Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, eastern and northern Kenya, eastern Ethiopia, central to northern Uganda, and most parts of Tanzania.
Although cold conditions with temperatures less than 20 degrees Celsius are expected in parts of central to northern Ethiopia, central to western Kenya, western Rwanda as well as a few places in northern to southern Tanzania, ICPAC warns that warmer than usual temperatures are likely to occur in most parts of Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, western Tanzania and northern Somalia with colder than usual temperatures predicted over parts of eastern Tanzania, eastern Kenya and parts of southern Somalia.
Similarly, the Kenya Meteorological Department(KMD) weekly forecast shows that dry and sunny conditions are likely to persist across most parts of the country although rainfall is expected over some parts of the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Central and South Rift Valley, the Highlands East of the Rift Valley, the Coast and Northeastern Kenya.
Also, according to KMD, average daytime (maximum) temperatures are likely to exceed 30 degrees Celsius over some parts of the Coast, Northwestern and North-eastern Kenya. Average night-time (minimum) temperatures are likely to be high (more than 20 degrees Celsius) over most parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the weather department notes that most parts of the country remained dry and sunny in the last seven days (10-16 October 2022) with only a few stations in the Highlands West of the Rift Valley and the Lake Victoria Basin recording light to moderate rainfall. This, according to KMD, indicates a general decrease in the amount of rainfall over most parts of the country compared to the previous review period (3-9 October 2022).
