(South of 20N)
African Desk
January 11-20, 2008

Highlights: During the ten-day period parts of southern Africa experienced rainfall totals below normal. However, overall excessive and beneficial rains prevail for the rainy season in central and southern Africa. There has been some minor flooding along river basins in Mozambique.

Details: In eastern Africa, significant rains (12 – 89 mm; 207 – 800% of normal) fell across much of Kenya. South central Ethiopia also experienced rains that led to totals ranging from 144 – 687% of normal. Tanzania had a few areas of locally heavy rains (273 – 298% of normal). Elsewhere rainfall totals were below 5mm. Temperatures did not vary as much as rainfall did during this period. Temperatures ranged from 14 – 24 degrees Celsius in Ethiopia, 18 – 29 degrees Celsius in Kenya, and 19 – 28 degrees Celsius in Tanzania. These were all within 3 degrees above or below normal with the exception of Uganda where temperatures did drop down to 6 degrees below normal in the central region of the country.

In southern Africa, despite the current moderate La Nina episode, rainfall was near normal across most of the region with precipitation falling in a range of ten percentage points above or below normal, except in Mozambique along the Revue River where there has been rain in excess of 100% of normal and throughout South Africa. There, rainfall totals have a wide range of 0 – 160+ mm, equating to upwards of 744% as observed in Upington, South Africa. Central portions of southern Africa saw temperatures that fell below normal by 1 to -5 C likely due to excessive rains. Much of Zambia had cooler temperatures ranging 4 – 6 degrees below normal.

In central Africa, moderate to heavy rain (25 - 150 mm) characterized much of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Congo. Heavy rains reaching up to 300 mm or more covered much of central DRC. Other portions of the region received light to moderate rains ranging from 1 – 25 mm in northern Cameroon and CAR.

In West Africa, seasonably dry weather prevailed across the Sahel and the northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea region. Sporadic light rains (4 - 10 mm) fell over coastal areas of Benin and Togo. Temperatures ranged from 21 – 30 degrees C. Parts of Mali, Cote d’ Ivoire and Nigeria saw temperatures surpassing 30 C. Overall, temperatures were within in 3 degrees above or below normal. With the exception of the fore mentioned countries and parts of Mauritania where temperatures 6 -8 degrees above normal were observed.

Note: This report should be used with caution. Weather data are based on preliminary reports.