‘Effect of climate change causing erratic rainfall’ - Meteo Agency

The variation in our weather pattern has contributed to the recent heavy rainfall in the country. Head of Forecasting at the Ghana Meteorological Agency, Joseph Poturphy, believes that climate variability which is an effect of climate change has contributed to the inconsistent rainfall pattern.

The agency has described the recent erratic rainfall as normal although some major parts of the country have experienced constant rainfall which is peculiar in the month of October.

According to Joseph Poturphy, the rains will last till November this year.

“I can say that climate change effect is what is bringing this erratic and abnormal rainfall that some of us perceived to be occurring. I will like to call it climate variability, there is a variability in the climate regime that we are having right now.”

The continuous heavy downpour in what is expected to be a minor rainfall season has affected businesses and also caused flooding in waterlogged areas. In spite of that, temperatures are also a little high during the day.

Speaking to GhanaWeb, Joseph Poturphy, noted that it is possible to experience heavy rainfall during minor raining season, however, the country has not experienced heavy rainfall in the month of October over the last four years.

“It is quite unusual for people who are just very young but in the olden days it was a normal thing. Naturally, Ghana has two rainfall patterns, the major raining season and the minor raining season. The major raining season starts from April and ends in July…from October to mid part of November we have the minor season over the coastal and the middle belt, that is what has been pertaining. For the northern part of the country they have only one raining season from April to May and ends in November,” he explained.

People living in flood prone areas have been advised to move out during this period to avoid unforeseen casualties.

Additionally, farmers operating in lowland areas have been advised to hold on with planting to avoid the floods from destroying their crops.

The Ghana Meteorological Agency has issued weather advice and warnings to the public in regard to places that are likely to record rainfall in the coming week.

“We normally give weather advice, weather warning, and then we give weather alert. As and when we believe whatever is happening will create a lot of havoc and destroy lives and property, we are supposed to issue a weather warning out of that one”, he explained.

The general public have been advised to visit the website and social media pages of the Ghana Meteorological Agency for information on the weather forecast during this season.