Warmer Temperatures Expected in the Greater Horn of Africa
By Gift Briton
Most parts of the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) are likely to experience warmer-than-average temperatures throughout the week.
This is according to a weekly forecast by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)’s Climate Prediction and Application Centre(ICPAC).
The forecast notes that Central to northern Sudan, Afar region in Ethiopia, Djibouti, and coastal regions of Eritrea and north-western Somalia are expected to experience high temperatures above 32 ℃.
Furthermore, moderate to high temperatures (20 – 32℃) are expected over South Sudan, eastern and northern Kenya, western and eastern Tanzania, Somalia, south-eastern Ethiopia, and central to northern Uganda, with other regions likely to experience mild conditions (less than 20℃).
However, ICPAC also predicts that cooler-than-usual temperatures are expected in parts of Darfur in Sudan, and other isolated areas across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.
Meanwhile, very heavy rainfall is expected in a few places in cross-border areas of Sudan-Ethiopia-Eritrea and South Sudan and Ethiopia while moderate rainfall is expected over isolated parts of southern Sudan, most parts of South Sudan, western Ethiopia, western Eritrea, northern Uganda, and a few places in western Kenya.
Southern to central Sudan, isolated areas in south-eastern South Sudan, central parts of Ethiopia, northern and southern Somalia, eastern and southern Tanzania, coastal and western Kenya, and central to southern Uganda are also likely to receive light rainfall.
Other areas however, are expected to remain generally dry during the forecast period, including northern Sudan, coastal Eritrea, north-eastern and south-eastern Ethiopia, Djibouti, northern and eastern Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, and western and southern Tanzania.
ICPAC’s forecast also shows that abnormally dry conditions are expected over most parts of Uganda, western Kenya, much of South Sudan, and parts of central to western Ethiopia with wetter than usual conditions expected over central to western Sudan, isolated areas of north-western South Sudan, western parts of Ethiopia, and cross border regions of coastal Kenya and Somalia.