Ghana to receive normal to above normal rainfall this year

Accra, March 9, GNA - Most places in the country would experience fairly good rains with even distribution during the major rainy season this year unlike 2010 when the season was characterized by erratic and poor rainfall distribution pattern.

Generally, all sectors of the country have 80 per cent chance of receiving normal to above normal rainfall during the major rainy season, a release from the Ghana Meteorological Agency made available to the GNA on Wednesday said.

The release which Mr A.Y Nkansah signed for the Acting Director-General of the Agency; warned that the rainy season would be characterized by thunderstorms, which would sometimes be accompanied by strong winds. The forecast were based on prevailing atmospheric conditions over land and oceans and expected trends that suggested that the lower sea surface temperatures (La Nina condition), which started in mid-June 2010, would persist for most part of 2011; and prediction made by other major world weather forecast centres like the International Research Institute of Columbia, Climate Centre, USA; European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast and the GMA's own model.

The rains were expected to start between 19th February and 1st March i= n the Forest and Transition Zones; 6th March and 16th March in the Western Coastal Zone; 18th March and 28th March in the Eastern Coastal Zone and 9th April and 16th April in the North-Western Zone. The Western Coastal Zone is expected to receive from 850 millimetres to 1,100 millimetres; North-Western Zone from 650 millimetres to 1,100 millimetres; Forest and Transition Zones are to receive from 800millimetres to 900 millimetres and Eastern Coastal Zone from 500 millimetres to 600 millimetres of rain.