Meteo Service expects no floods in Northern Ghana
The three regions of the north have a 75 per cent chance of getting normal rains this year, without floods but there is a likelihood of dry spells.
The dry spells most likely would occur in May and August and last for about one to two weeks.
Mr Charles Yorke, Research Director of Ghana Meteorological Services (GMET) announced this at a meeting of farmers, assembly persons, community representatives and other stakeholders in agriculture, held at Gambaga on Wednesday.
The two day participatory scenario planning (PSP) meeting organised by Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP), Ghana, under CARE International, was aimed at developing advisories based on the anticipated weather scenario for more resilient livelihoods and risk management in the communities.
Mr Yorke said the rains this year would be accompanied by strong winds and would start in April and end in October saying the rainfall pattern would be like what occurred in 2005.
He explained that the rains would not start and end on the same day in all the regions, but a total rainfall of 20mm in one week with one of the rains reading up to 10mm was an indication that the rainy season had started. Likewise when the rains stop for ten days in October, then that would be a sign of the end of the season.
Mr Yorke advised farmers not to hold or use cutlasses when it is raining or seek shelter under trees as the electric charge around trees during such times could easily attract lightning.
Earlier on, the farmers, discussing the local forecast based on age long beliefs, said the rains would be moderate but could not agree on whether there would be strong winds or not.
Such beliefs include, the fruiting of the shea nut, and “Sibisibi” trees, whereby heavy fruiting is said to indicate heavy rains. Also when birds that nest near river banks suddenly start building their nest high up the trees, that indicate heavy rains.
Strong and frequent whirl winds in the dry season also indicate that there would be heavy rains in the next rainy season. Other beliefs include the duration of the harmattan season, where a short period of harmattan indicates early and heavy rains and vice versa.
Mr Romanu Gyang, programme Manager of ALP, advised the farmers to value the local beliefs and observe the signs so that together with scientific forecast they could plan what crops to sow and suitable time so as to avoid floods or dry spells.
He explained that the PSP was an approach of communicating climate information to vulnerable rural communities and local government institutions, as it creates a platform for district stakeholders and rural farmers to learn from the GMET the seasonal forecast for the year.
With information on the rains from the scientific point of view and that based on the local believes, the farmers with advice from agricultural officers would discuss when best to sow and what crop to cultivate this year.
The adaptation learning programme under CARE is an NGO working in parts of northern and Upper East regions to help give farmers information on climate change and also assist them adopt various strategies to meet th challenges of climate change.
The programme is assisting farmers to improve their farming activities and also find alternative ways of earning income to supplement what they get from the farms.
Source: GNA