By Patience Lunda:
The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) has announced that the incessant rains falling in most parts of the country indicate the start of the rainfall season.
According to the department, the public should expect the rains to be intense and heavy in some areas.
In an interview, DCCMS director Lucy Mtilatila said that this is also the time for people to begin preparing for farming activities.
Mtilatila added that there is a possibility that new cyclones may develop in the Indian Ocean due to rising temperatures; however, it is not yet certain whether they will affect Malawi.
“Indeed, these are the first rains, and some areas will receive more rainfall. Typically, the rainfall season begins in October in the country, and we urge people to start preparing for agricultural activities,” she said.
Commenting on the matter, environmental activist Maloto Chimkombero stressed the need for the public to take communications from DCCMS seriously, especially as the country is experiencing the effects of climate change.
Chimkombero said the start of the rainfall season also signifies that people living in flood-prone areas should move to higher ground.
“This is the time to begin preparing for agricultural activities as well as finding ways to mitigate flooding. We are experiencing climate change, and conditions can change at any time,” he said.
Malawi’s main rainfall season occurs from October to April; although typically, the main rains begin in November, starting in the Southern Region and progressively moving northwards.
So far, the country’s three cities—Blantyre, Mzuzu and Lilongwe—have all received rainfall.
Recently, DCCMS disclosed that global climate models indicate that weak La Niña conditions are expected to prevail during a considerable part of the 2024- 25 rainfall season.
La Niña is marked by the unusual cooling of waters in the Eastern-Central Equatorial Pacific Ocean and typically results in increased rainfall in Southern Africa, potentially affecting southern Malawi as well.
Rainfall amounts across most areas of the country are anticipated to be normal to below normal, according to the department.
From January to March 2025, Malawi is expected to receive rainfall amounts that will generally be above normal to normal across most areas.
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