The rainy season has not started - Meteorological Agency

Accra, Feb. 15, GNA - The heavy down pour experienced in certain parts of the country at dawn last Sunday is not an indication of the beginning of the rainy season.

It is the result of variation in climate, which has culminated in weather patterns that are different from those that have been experienced in the past.

Torgbui Gbegbie Fiamekor, Principal Meteorological Officer at the Kotoka International Airport, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that it was too early for the rainy season to begin. "At the moment, wind at the upper level cannot sustain storm development, meaning it is impossible for us to be having the rainy season now," he said.

Torgbui Fiamekor noted that the rain fall pattern would be erratic and unpredictable at the moment, as a result of climatic variation. He said there could be rainfall in any part of the country at any time, depending on atmospheric conditions, although the rainy season might not have necessarily started.

Explaining the situation further with particular emphasis on the increase in heat in the atmosphere and the typical effects of the harmattan season had not been felt in several parts of the country this year, Torgbui Fiamekor said the high pressure which normally built up over North Africa had collapsed earlier than usual this period and the mid latitude depression had taken over its place.

He said this had resulted in a very low pressure field over West Africa and as a result caused the equatorial trough to become active and expand towards North Africa.

Torgbui Fiamekor said its expansion towards the north caused a rapid upsurge of moisture to upset the harmattan conditions in Ghana and further inland into Burkina Faso.

He said with the inter-tropical boundary, between the moist and dry wind shifting rapidly from seven degrees north to 12.5 degrees north, an estimated distance from the Afram Plains to Ouagadougou, "that rapid shift of air from the Afram Plains to Ouagadougou, caused an upsurge of moisture from the Gulf of Guinea".

Torgbui Fiamekor said this sudden upsurge of moisture resulted in more cloud development over the gulf coast, and into the inland areas. He said on Saturday, February 13, the condition, described as "buoyancy" reached its peak over the eastern part of West Africa, especially Cameroun, and developed into a thunderstorm, which was reported in Malawi at 1100 GMT.

"It produced a wind that moved at 78km per hour which affected Douala in Cameroun," he added.

Torgbui Fiamekor said it progressed westwards and affected Lagos-Abuja at 1700 GMT at 70 km per hour on the same day. He said it also progressed westwards and affected Cotonou at a wind speed of 60 km per hour and moved on to affect Accra at dawn on Sunday, February 14, producing the heavy rainfall.

Torgbui Fiamekor said it continued to Takoradi, Abidjan and was still moving westward along the coast towards Conakry in Guinea. He gave statistics of the down pour as Tema - 70 millimetres (MM), Accra-60.3mm, Saltpond - 29.5mm, Mankesim-30.1 mm, Takoradi-23.1mm and Akatsi-21.2mm.

Torgbui Fiamekor said in some parts of the country during the previous day, Saturday, February 13, the rainfall recorded were Techiman- 80.5mm, Asante Mampong-56.2mm, Tuna near Bole-32,2mm, Kpandai-49.2mm and Bole 32.2mm.

Rainfall statistics for different parts of the country during the past week are Koforidua-121.0mm, Accra-71.8mm, Techiman-80.5mm, Tema-70.0mm, Ashanti Mampong-56.2mm and Kpandai-49.2mm.

Torgbui Fiamekor said the current heat in the atmosphere within the country was being caused by direct heating of the sea by the sun. He said for the first time in 10 years, the sea was 1.3 degrees centigrade warmer than it usually was, adding that the difference was enough to cause a vast change in atmospheric temperature.

Torgbui Fiamekor said although the harmattan was being felt in the northern parts of the country, its effects were not being felt in the south adding, whilst it was possible that the south might experience some harmattan, that was not a fact for sure. He said these changes in weather patterns were due to atmospheric changes which happened naturally over time. Torgbui Fiamekor said the country was yet to experience the first or major rainy season of the year. 15 Feb. 10