Deon Schlechter
WINDHOEK – As the rainy season is coming to an end some areas in Windhoek received 48 hours of light to moderate rainfall that resulted in 70mm of rain, as well as over other parts of the central areas of Namibia over the past weekend. It was a question of too little too late, say weather forecasters.
During the next three days, while suppressed rainfall is forecast to continue over a wide area of central southern Africa, only scattered thundershowers are likely over the western-Kunene, Khomas, Erongo, Khomas, Hardap and Karas regions while enhanced and heavy rainfall is expected to continue over northern Mozambique, southern Tanzania, and northern Madagascar. Over Mozambique, the forecast of additional light rainfall may still exacerbate conditions over water-logged and oversaturated areas, the Climate Prediction Center’s Africa Hazards Outlook announced yesterday.
The Meteorological Service in Windhoek forecasts a partly cloudy and very hot extreme northeast, elsewhere partly cloudy and warm to hot with a few to isolated thundershowers as from Monday. Well below-average rainfall since the beginning of the southern African monsoon has resulted in large seasonal moisture deficits over a wide area of southern Africa. Since January to present, negative rainfall anomalies were observed across northern Namibia and southern Angola, southern Zambia and northern Zimbabwe. This has resulted in Namibia battling with its worst drought in decades and government has already availed N$573 million to assist those farmers hard hit in areas north of the veterinary cordon fence.
The Dare to Care Disaster Fund of the Namibian Agricultural Union now stands at N$4 million and the Namibia Farmers Drought Aid Programme at more than N$500 000 in support of communal, commercial and emerging farmers.
The lack or absence of rainfall for some crop producing areas has already resulted in wilting conditions and dried up dams in some areas
According to reports, high temperatures since January and dry conditions that followed the previous, poor October to December season, have already negatively impacted pastoral conditions and the livelihoods of people in many areas of the various regions in Namibia.
An analysis of recent vegetation health index has indicated that a wide area throughout Namibia was under unfavourable conditions and continued so over recent weeks. Conditions on the grounds could further deteriorate if good rainfall distribution does not return in the upcoming weeks of April.