Sunday's Floods were caused by accumulated water - Meteo

Accra, June 21, GNA - Floods experienced in some parts of the country following the long period of rainfall last Sunday, was due to the ground being saturated by water from earlier rains in the past days. "The rainfall therefore, added to the already saturated ground, resulting in the floods," Torgbui Gbegbie Fiamekor, Deputy Officer in charge of Meteorological Services Department at Kotoka International Airport, told Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday.

He said the southern parts of the country were now experiencing monsoon rains, which were typical of intermittent light rains. Torgbui Fiamekor explained that the rains, though not particularly heavy, would fall for very long periods, often abating for a while and then continuing again.

He said last Sunday's downpour was a typical monsoon rain with high intensity over the eastern coast, which consisted of the Central Region, through Greater Accra Region to the lower Volta. "The country would experience rainfall which would taper to an end towards the end of June. These rains could either be light or heavy," he added.

Torgbui Fiamekor said northern Ghana, on the other hand, had storms from the east precipitating rainfall in the form of showers or thunderstorms, which were associated with gusty or strong winds. He said the weather systems over the country now, typically precipitated lots of rainfall.

Torgbui Fiamekor gave some statistics of last Sunday's downpour as Accra-Airport-24.1 millimetres (mm), Tema- 50.1mm, Takoradi-29.7mm and Axim-2.6mm.

The rest are Akim Oda-51.8mm, Pokuase-84.7mm. In Northern Region; Bole recorded-4.6mm; Yendi-13.4mm and Navrongo-1.7mm.

Rainfall measurements over the country last week are Accra-Airport- 101.7mm, Tema-87.1mm, Axim-73.1mm and Saltpond-38.4mm. The rest are Kumasi-88.9mm, Akim-Oda-119.6mm, Asamankese-86.3mm and Assin Fosu-92.7mm. Last Sunday's downpour which lasted for several hours resulted in heavy flooding which caused loss of lives and property in various parts of the country.