Regional forecast paints gloomy picture
Malawi will be one of the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) member States to experience harsh weather in the 2024/25 rainy season, a Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (Sarcof) forecast has shown.
The outlook is in tandem with what the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) forecasted that Malawi will experience above-average rainfall with flooding due to the La-Niña weather conditions in the forthcoming season.
A statement issued by Sadc secretariat after the 29th Sarcof virtual meeting held from August 26 to 28 said most parts of the Sadc region are likely to receive normal to above normal rainfall from October this year.
Sarcof projected that from December 2024 to February 2025, Malawi and other Sadc countries, namely Botswana, e-Swatini, Namibia , Le s o tho, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Angola are expected to experience normal to above normal rainfall.
Reads the statement in part: “The period October to March is the main period of interest for this outlook for Southern Africa. Temperature outlook covering the period from October 2024 to January 2025 indicates a highly likelihood for above normal temperatures in most parts of the region.”
Last week, National Water Resource Authority (NWRA) forecasted that water levels in Lake Malawi will be higher in the 2024/25 hydrological year, compared to the 2023/24 rainy season, posing a disaster threat in some parts of the country.
In a statement, NWRA indicated that as of August 26 last month, the water level in Lake Malawi was at 475.70 metres above the sea level (masl), representing 42cm higher than last year’s 475.28 on the same date.
Department of Disaster Management Af fai r s (Dodma) spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula is on record having said the department has already started preparing for La Niña weather condition, particularly in the disaster-prone areas.
He said among others, Dodma is planning to construct two dykes along North Rukuru River in Karonga and Milole River in the Shire River East Bank bordering Chikwawa and Nsanje districts.
