Rainfall forecast for the last part of the rainy season...

[kingshaka]

MOST AREAS TO RECEIVE NORMAL TO ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL

The northern parts of the country are expected to receive normal to above normal rains during the last part of the rainfall season (January to March).

The Department of Meteorological Services (DMS) says the areas included Ngamiland, Chobe and the northern parts of the Central District. The southwestern parts that included Ghanzi and western parts of the Southern District were also expected to receive normal to above normal rains. Addressing members of the media on Wednesday, DMS acting director, Mr Kevin Gobagoba said the eastern parts of the country which included Southeast, Kgatleng, eastern parts of Kweneng, eastern parts of southern, northern, southern parts of the Central District were expected to receive normal to below normal rains.

Mr Gobagoba said the department reviewed the state of the global climate systems and analysed the rainfall prospects for the period from January to March whereupon seasonal rainfall forecast for the upcoming rainfall season for Botswana was released. He noted that conclusions reached were based on the state of the Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) over the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. He said the SSTs anomalies in the east and central Pacific Ocean were depicting El Nino which was likely to be sustained through the southern hemisphere winter this year. He added that it was expected that the above average SSTs in the Indian Ocean and El Nino would influence the weather and climate systems over Botswana although they were not the only influencing factors for rainfall.