WEEKLY AFRICAN WEATHER HAZARDS ASSESSMENT STATEMENT
JANUARY 23, 2003 DISCUSSION:
1) Recent rains in northern Tunisia
and extreme areas in northern Algeria has resulted in saturated conditions
and some local flooding. Expect more rain throughout the period which
could induce local flooding in some prone areas.
2) Hydrological dryness continues
across much of southern Mauritania resulting in poor pasture conditions.
Significant rains are not expected until the next growing season, which
generally begins in July.
3) Dryness throughout recent years
has resulted in poor pasture conditions and low water supplies across central
Ethiopia, and adjacent portions of Eritrea and Djibouti. Rainfall is not
forecast over the region within the next week.
4) Below normal rainfall totals in
Guinea has resulted in low reservoir levels, which aid in the generation
of hydro-electric power. Improvement is expected around April or
the start of the next rainy season in the region.
5) Southern Africa has remained dry
over the past week, and little rain is forecast in the coming period. Several
reports say that much of the region is 100-200 mm below normal, with some
local areas over 200 mm below normal. The area highlighted should
continue to be monitored
closely for the potential for crop failure
due to extremely dry conditions. The region of greatest concern is
southern Mozambique and most of Zimbabwe.
6) Saturated conditions, which continue
in southern Malawi, north and central Mozambique, and the northern two-thirds
of Madagascar could lead to isolated areas of flooding as rains continue
over the next week. Flood prone areas should be monitored closely
as convective showers could bring local amounts of 100-200 mm of rain over
the hazard period.
Author: Kevin B Laws
Algeria + 10 more