Rains to Resume Soon, Weather Body Assures

Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) has come out explain the current dry spell across the country, reassuring that it is only temporary.

On February 10th 2020, UNMA predicted that most parts of Uganda would receive normal to above normal rainfall for the months of March – April and May. Also in the forecast, it was indicated that an early onset of rainfall was expected across all regions.

However, it has been observed that the onset seasonal rainfall was established over most parts of the country by early March 2020 and since then, several places across the country received enhanced rainfall till the first week of April when the dry spell was experienced and had persisted up to the second week of April 2020 apart from Lake Victoria basin and South western Uganda which have continued to receive isolated rainfall.

In a statement over the weekend, UNMA Executive Director Dr Festus Luboyera explained that the dry spell has been caused by among others that dry phase of Madden – Julian Oscillations (MJO) which is associated with suppressed rainfall leading to leading to dry conditions over Uganda.

He added that that the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is currently in neural phase and its influence on rainfall performance during the remaining part of the rainfall forecast is very minimal. The IOD is expected to remain neural for the most of 2020.

UNMA therefore predicted that rainfall is expected to resume by around mid-April.

“Based on the above factors, rainfall is expected to resume by around mid-April and continue up to the end of May 2020. The anticipated rains have an increased likelihood for normal and above rainfall over most parts of the country,” said UNMA Executive Director Festus Luboyera in a statement.

Meanwhile, Luboyera predicted that the rains will cause flooding in low lying areas, violent winds and lightening and high risk of water borne diseases due to occasional splash floods.

He advised general public to continue wedding their crops, carryout monitoring and surveillance for pests and diseases and ensure routine maintenance of flood prone road sections and bridges.