By Kei Emmanuel Duku
Greater Horn of Africa braces for a mix of weather conditions in the coming months, according to the seasonal forecast released by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC).
While much of South Sudan can expect above-normal rainfall from June to September, mirroring the wet years of 1998 and 2010, northwestern Bahr el Ghazal is predicted to experience drier conditions.
This drier trend is also expected in parts of western Ethiopia and northern Somalia.
The forecast further highlights variations in rainfall timing across the region.
Central and northern Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan are likely to see early to normal rains, while Djibouti, eastern and western Ethiopia, and central and western Sudan may experience delays. South Sudan’s southern regions might face a later start to the rainy season compared to the rest of the country.
Beyond rainfall, ICPAC warns of warmer-than-normal temperatures for parts of East Africa, including Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, northern Sudan, and central and western Ethiopia.
Flooding has already begun in some areas of Uganda and Kenya, ICPAC reports.
The seasonal forecast, developed using data from nine global prediction centers with support from the World Meteorological Organization, categorizes regions as experiencing above-normal, normal, or below-normal conditions.