Favorable rainfall during late October-early November facilitates winter wheat planting
KEY MESSAGES
• Above average rainfall during late October-early November well supported winter wheat planting. The forecast of widespread precipitation during the latter half of November will be very useful for healthy progress of winter wheat planting.
• ENSO-neutral conditions are predicted between October 2019 and June 2020. Seasonal forecast models predict precipitation to be above-average till the end of December. For the season overall, average rainfall and above-average temperatures are expected during the forecast period in the region.
UPDATE ON SEASONAL PROGRESS
Precipitation anomalies:
The 2019/20 winter wet season began with well-distributed rainfall across the country between late October and mid-November. The cumulative precipitation anomalies during this period (Figure 1) indicate positive anomalies (10-50 mm) in the northeast provinces (Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Nuristan) while average conditions are observed in the rest of the country. The rainfall has facilitated healthy progress of winter wheat planting in the country.