A wrong weather forecast leads to lost of millions cedis

Winneba (Central Region) 27 Jan. '99

Following a wrong forecast by the Ghana Television weatherman fishermen at the Winneba beach in the Central Region lost millions of cedis when a strong windstorm hit the beach two weeks ago. "We heard from the weatherman on television that a strong wind was coming from Cameroon and will hit our part of the coast the next day but unfortunately, it passed the same day'', Supi Kwesi Nketsiah, a boat owner has said during a tour of the beach by members of Hydrometeorological and Geological sub committees of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) yesterday, to assess the extent of damage. Some canoes were out on sea and the nature of the storm was such that no one could go out to bring them ashore, he said. Supi Nketsiah said it will cost about eight million cedis to get a new boat and a fishing net. "In the interim, I have started mending the damaged net so that work will resume to enable me to raise funds". Lt. Daniel William Osardu, District Chief Executive of Ewutu- Effutu Senya, said eight canoes and fishing nets valued at about 100 million cedis were damaged. Four of the canoes were destroyed beyond repair. The team met some of the affected fishermen busy mending their nets although some had been repaired and were being used.