The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has warned of possible changes in rainfall patterns and temperatures across the country as a very strong El Niño condition develops.
In a post shared on its social media pages on November 2, 2026, it highlighted the potential implications of the climate pattern for agriculture, water resources, hydroelectric power generation and public health.
But what is El Niño, and how could it affect Ghana?
El Niño is a climate pattern that occurs when surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean become unusually warm. The warming influences atmospheric circulation and can alter rainfall and temperature patterns in different parts of the world.
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According to GMet, Ghana's experience with previous El Niño episodes, particularly the strong events of 1982/83, 1997/98 and 2015/16, demonstrates the country's vulnerability to rainfall variability.
The agency also cited the moderate 2023/24 episode, noting that the impacts of these events have differed across the country and between individual years.
GMet cautioned that El Niño does not automatically produce uniform weather conditions across Ghana, as its influence also depends on the state of the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
The agency said its 2026 observations had already highlighted contrasting weather conditions, with exceptionally heavy rainfall causing flooding in parts of southern Ghana in June, while prolonged dry spells affected farming activities in parts of the north.
"The updated September–November (SON) and October–December (OND) seasonal outlooks indicate predominantly normal-to-below-normal rainfall across much of the country, with above-normal rainfall expected in some areas. Warmer-than-average temperatures are also projected for most locations, with regional variations," it said.
GMet has stressed the need for preparedness as hotter and drier conditions are anticipated.
See the post below:
Heard about the EL NIÑO Event?
— Ghana Meteorological Agency (@GhanaMet) October 30, 2026
Here’s what to expect for Ghana - implications for Ghana’s into the first half of 2027, expected weather patterns and precautionary measures
Click on the link to access the full Advisory: https://t.co/wZ4S2lcpfR
#GMet #PressRelease #ElNino https://t.co/FrZaD97vz0
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