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Brace for thunderstorms, says TMA
2006-01-03 08:37:23
By Pacifique Nkeshimana
Tanzania will experience thunderstorms for three months from January as a result of long drought, the Tanzania Meteological Agency (TMA) announced yesterday.
Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam, TMA Director General, Dr Mohammed Mhita said January to March is an active tropical cyclone season over the southwestern Indian Ocean, which he said might have significant influence on the forecasting conditions.
He urged Tanzanians not to sit or stand under trees so as to avoid accidents related to thunderstorms, which he said might be accompanied by lightening.
”During December the northern coast and Zanzibar regions, northeastern highlands and Lake Victoria basin experienced extreme dry conditions with some meteorological stations recording the most dry conditions,’ he said.
He said Handeni, Moshi, Tanga, Same and Pemba recorded very little rainfall.
The TMA boss said the rest of the coastal and northeastern highlands stations also reported very low amounts of rainfall with less than 25 per cent of average except Zanzibar, which reported 52 per cent average of rainfall.
”Over Lake Victoria basin, Bukoba recorded 53.6 per cent, Mwanza 64.3 per cent, Shinyanga 53.6 per cent while Musoma reported 37.2 per cent,’ he said.
Mhita said that the ’Vuli’ seasonal performance during the three months period from October to December was very poor over the coastal areas and the northeastern highlands where most of the records were less than 50 per cent of long term average for the season.
He said that over the Lake Victoria basin the situation was very bad though less severe with most stations recording amounts in the range of 50 to 70 per cent of long term average with the exception of Shinyanga which recorded 41 percent.
The TMA Director General said that in the unimodal areas, which are Central, Western, Southwestern, southern and southern coast regions the rains started late and were poorly distributed with most of the stations recording below normal rainfall average.
”In December Sumbawanga and Mbeya reported amounts above 65 per cent of average with the rest of stations reporting less than 50 per cent of average — Singida, Mtwara and Kigoma reported extreme dry conditions of below 25 per cent of long term average,’ he said.
Dr mhita said that in the Lake Victoria basin (Kagera, Mwanza, Mara and Shinyanga) the short rains have ended except for occasional showers that would go on up to mid March this year when the long rains are expected to commence.
He said for the northern coastal areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Coast, northern Morogoro regions and isles of Zanzibar and Pemba, the short rains have ended, save for few occasional rains till mid March when the ’masika’ rains are expected to begin. January and February would be dominated by dry and hot conditions.
Concerning the northeast highlands of Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Manyara regions, there would be dry and relatively hot conditions up to late March when seasonal long rains are expected to start.
He said the western areas of Tabora, Rukwa, southern parts of Kigoma are expected to continue having rains up to the midle of April.’These rains are expected to be mainly normal with pockets of below normal rainfalls,’ he said.
”In the central areas and northern areas of Iringa, Singida and Dodoma the rains are expected to continue up to mid April but mainly below normal average,’ he said.
He added that southern areas of Morogoro, Iringa, Mbeya, Ruvuma and Lindi regions will continue having rains up to mid April and the rains are expected to continue being normal in Mbeya and Ruvuma regions and below normal in Lindi and Mtwara regions.
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