Ex-cyclone Ana may bring floods
ELVIRA HATTINGH
GROOTFONTEIN
The Namibian weather office has issued a warning about possible floods over the Zambezi and Kavango regions from today, as well as over parts of Ohanghwena over the weekend.
Chief forecaster Odillo Kgobetsi said this is the result of tropical cyclone Ana, which has since weakened to a tropical depression.
Kgobetsi warned that the system, which has been developing in the Mozambique Channel since late last week and moving west across the southern mainland, could also bring significant rainfall to Namibia, leading to localised floods.
LandWater explained last Wednesday that ex-cyclone Ana now carries an enormous "moisture blanket", which means "we are working with tons of moisture and tons of water".
The organisation said extensive, heavy rain is likely for "central to eastern Namibia, within a north-south vertical", while the western part of the country may also receive more rain than expected. However, there is still uncertainty about rainfall in the west.
"The western rain line will sway and will probably only start showing more clarity around Friday to Saturday.”
According to Landwater, the expected coverage and intensity of the tropical depression may be exceeded.
Longer term
While farmers in the maize triangle are still waiting for sufficient rain, a meteorologist said rain conditions for Namibia will probably only improve again in two weeks.
"Rain conditions are expected to improve again in the second part of February over the northern parts of the country and expand before winter to the central as well as the southern parts," independent agricultural meteorologist Johan van den Berg said yesterday.
He urged Namibians not to lose hope.
"The longer-term outlook for rain is still very positive in the period just before winter," he said, adding that the impact of La Niña mostly leads to average or above-average rainfall.
The weather phenomenon has reached maturity, he said, and is expected to affect rain conditions until May.
He admitted very little rain fell in Namibia until mid-January because tropical moisture from central and west Africa was more focused on Botswana and South Africa.
"Heavy rainfall has occurred over large parts of Namibia since the third week, with localised floods," he said.
GROOTFONTEIN
The Namibian weather office has issued a warning about possible floods over the Zambezi and Kavango regions from today, as well as over parts of Ohanghwena over the weekend.
Chief forecaster Odillo Kgobetsi said this is the result of tropical cyclone Ana, which has since weakened to a tropical depression.
Kgobetsi warned that the system, which has been developing in the Mozambique Channel since late last week and moving west across the southern mainland, could also bring significant rainfall to Namibia, leading to localised floods.
LandWater explained last Wednesday that ex-cyclone Ana now carries an enormous "moisture blanket", which means "we are working with tons of moisture and tons of water".
The organisation said extensive, heavy rain is likely for "central to eastern Namibia, within a north-south vertical", while the western part of the country may also receive more rain than expected. However, there is still uncertainty about rainfall in the west.
"The western rain line will sway and will probably only start showing more clarity around Friday to Saturday.”
According to Landwater, the expected coverage and intensity of the tropical depression may be exceeded.
Longer term
While farmers in the maize triangle are still waiting for sufficient rain, a meteorologist said rain conditions for Namibia will probably only improve again in two weeks.
"Rain conditions are expected to improve again in the second part of February over the northern parts of the country and expand before winter to the central as well as the southern parts," independent agricultural meteorologist Johan van den Berg said yesterday.
He urged Namibians not to lose hope.
"The longer-term outlook for rain is still very positive in the period just before winter," he said, adding that the impact of La Niña mostly leads to average or above-average rainfall.
The weather phenomenon has reached maturity, he said, and is expected to affect rain conditions until May.
He admitted very little rain fell in Namibia until mid-January because tropical moisture from central and west Africa was more focused on Botswana and South Africa.
"Heavy rainfall has occurred over large parts of Namibia since the third week, with localised floods," he said.
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