Senior Meteorologist advises farmers in start planting

Accra, May 13, GNA - Mr Amos Narh, Senior Meteorologist at the Meteorological Services Department, Kotoka International Airport, has advised farmers, especially those in the southern part of the country, to start planting their crops.

Giving the advice after a couple of heavy rain falls in the south, Mr Narh said although the major rainy season has started, the weather system over the country is such that the rains that fall over the southern part of the country were not strong enough.

Mr Narh, who told the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday, said whilst the major rainy season had started in the southern part of the country, it had not quite started in the northern part and indicated that the season would begin in the north probably by the later part of the month. He said the season started late because atmospheric conditions that were needed to precipitate rainfall had not been in place.

Mr Narh said although the southern part of the country was supposed to be experiencing the major rainy season, most of the rains experienced in that part of the country were not as strong as was typical of the season. He said this was because the active cells in the thunder storm systems, which caused heavy down pours, moved inland beyond the south and caused heavy rains over the sea, but never stood over the south.

The Senior Meteorologist said as a result, areas within the inland were experiencing much better rains than those along the coast.

Mr Narh said the weather systems looked favorable adding that this was an indication of the possibility of better rainfall during the season. Mr Narh said the current heat being experienced would go away, once the rains became more frequent and cooled down the atmosphere.

Giving some rainfall statistics Mr Narh said Ho experienced 113 millimeters (mm), Tetechrachi 42.5mm, Navrongo 69.5mm, Wa 101.6mm, Tamale 163.9mm, Yendi 152.6mm, Axim 162.1mm, and Takoradi 129.7mm. The rest were Tema 17.4mm, Accra-Airport 8.1mm, Ada 54.2mm, Kumasi 17.5mm, Bole 61.5mm, Sefwi-Bekwai 72.5mm and Koforidua 54.2mm. 13 May 10