Dryness to last through next month - Meteo Chief

Accra, Dec. 31, GNA - The level of dryness pertaining in the atmosphere due to the hamarttan season would not diminish nor increase much and would last well into the latter part of January 2008, the Meteorological Department said on Monday in Accra.

Speaking to journalists in an interview, Mr. Juati Ayi Larre, Head of the Meteorological Department, Kotoka International Airport, said the current hazy conditions were not as severe as was often anticipated because the haze particles fell this time round from the lower part of the atmosphere.

"Relative humidity is not as bad as it is during typical hamarttan seasons because the air mass introducing the haze is not dry enough and is not being transported along the surface of the earth," he said. He said in the mornings, there could be mist and that some parts of the coastal and forest areas could experience thick fog. Mr Larre said by mid-morning the fog would be burnt by heat from the sun which would once more bring about the hazy conditions. He said the haze formed the same pattern in the northern part of the country where there was very little moisture. "Thus in the north there is no mist nor fog but just haze throughout the day,"

He said the temperature in the north was cold at night because there was no cloud cover as a result of the lack of moisture in the atmosphere. Mr Larre said as a result of moisture in the southern part of the country, there was a cloud cover, which caused heat at night. He said intermittent improvement in the prevailing hazy conditions was expected where there would be much less haze or mist from time to time, adding, "we do not expect severe hazy conditions at all." Mr Larre cautioned that planning flights for Kumasi and Takoradi was very crucial since a good measure of fog and mist was expected in those areas.

He said mist and fog conditions were however not expected in Tamale.

The Meteorologist said the present pertaining weather conditions known as "lamina" induced rainfall for the West African region, which caused much less severe hamarttan conditions such as severe dryness and very little moisture in the atmosphere. He advised drivers along the coastal, mountainous and forest areas to be very cautious since visibility was bound to be poor due to misty and foggy conditions. Mr Larre also urged fishermen and hunters to be wary of poor visibility during the period to avoid accidents since the sea would be either misty or foggy in the mornings. He cautioned against bush burning and said food should be well protected since certain disease causing bacteria easily thrived in the prevailing weather conditions. Mr Larre said a maximum of 39 degrees Celsius was expected for the northern part of the country during the day and 16 degrees Celsius at night.

In the mid section, a maximum of 32 degrees Celsius was expected during the day and 21 degrees Celsius at night. A maximum of 32 degrees Celsius was expected during the day and about 24 degrees Celsius at night for the south He described visibility levels in the north as 3000 meters for both day and night and that of the mid-section of the country would be 6000 metres for both day and night and the coastal areas 4000 metres for both day and night. 31 Dec. 07