The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has cautioned that the minor rainfall season may bring some above normal rainfall, potentially resulting in floods in low-lying areas.
“At the peak of the September to November (SON) season, there is a high probability of a few incidences of heavy rains accompanied by strong winds and lightning which could lead to localised floods,” GMat’s forecast said.
It stated that the cumulative rainfall, both in time and space, was projected to be above average for most sites in the country’s southern regions, with the exception of certain areas in the country’s center and transition zones.
SON forecast
In a forecast for SON – the minor rainy season – the agency said that most of the rain will be light to moderate, but spread out across many hours.
The prognosis, which was made available to the Daily Graphic, stated that many locations in the north would have basically normal rainfall, while most regions in the Upper East Region would see seasonal surpluses.
Most coastal sections of the nation were projected to have early to normal onset dates, while most forest and transition areas would have a normal to late onset during the September-October-November season.
The season, which was projected to be normal to shorter days of between 32-98 days, had a high possibility of heavy rains accompanied by strong winds and lightning, which might lead to localised floods, according to the prediction.
There is also a significant likelihood of shorter to normal dry spells early in the season and somewhat protracted dry spells near the end of the season.
Distribution
GMat predicted that the distribution of the SON seasonal cumulative rainfall, both in time and location, would be above average for most sites in the country’s south, with the exception of few areas in the country’s central and transition zones.
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“Most of the rains will be in the form of light to moderate rain but spread over several hours,” it added.
It noted that early to normal onset dates were forecast in most coastal areas, while normal to late onset dates were expected in most forest and transition areas this SON season.
“At the beginning of the minor season, short to normal dry spells are expected while towards the end of the season, longer to normal dry spells are expected over most places in the southern regions of Ghana.
“The rainfall season for 2022 is likely to end earlier as compared to their normal dates for most places in Southern Ghana. It is expected that a few places along the forest areas like Kade, Koforidua, Asamankese, and Kumasi will have their season ending on the normal dates (1st week of December) possibly extending to late periods,” the agency said.
Impacts/recommendations
“At the peak of the SON season, there is a high probability of a few incidences of heavy rains accompanied by strong winds and lightning which could lead to localised floods. There is also a high probability of experiencing shorter to normal dry spells during the beginning of the season and relatively long dry spells towards the end of the season,” it said.
The minor season, characteristically, it said, had a shorter length of season and this year was no exception.
To mitigate any risk, that might occasion, to people, animals, crops, and material goods, it recommended the establishment and operationalisation of integrated monitoring and early warning systems for flood risk.
This, it added, was in the face of flood risk, which had a high potential of occurring this year in the northern part of the nation due to the impact of the rains and the possibility of the Bagre dam in Burkina Faso spilling.
It asked for contacts between authorities in charge of flood monitoring and disaster risk reduction, as well as an increase in humanitarian relief.
The prediction emphasized the importance of alerting the inhabitants of vulnerable areas to the approaching threat and relocating residents in flood-prone areas.
“Flash floods may occur, especially in the month of October, in places like low lying areas of Accra and Kumasi during the September to November period. This may lead to some roads becoming impassable when it rains. Road users should be mindful when plying those roads. Drivers should resist driving through flood waters,” it said.
Health
In places where the rainy season is wetter, the forecast noted that there were higher levels of the risk of cholera, malaria, dengue fever, bilharzia, and diarrhoea and that to mitigate the development of germs and reduce the risk of diseases, “it is strongly recommended that public education should be intensified through national platforms on disaster risk reduction through the radio, TV, information vans, etc”.
SOURCE: GRAPHICONLINE
