Horn of Africa countries to experience heatwaves, IGAD says

Several Horn of Africa countries are set to experience heatwaves due to elevated temperatures, said the Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC) of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Tuesday.

In its most recent forecast, ICPAC predicted that heatwaves would occur in the upcoming days despite the fact that most of the region's countries are experiencing heavier-than-normal rainfall during the March-May rainfall season.

"Elevated levels of heat stress are expected in southern parts of Somalia and South-eastern Kenya, Afar region in Ethiopia and northern parts of South Sudan," said ICPAC, adding the temperatures are expected to average 32 degrees Celsius.

Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and Ethiopia are some of the countries currently registering heavy rains of up to 200 mm a day, with the heavy rainfall leading to flooding, according to ICPAC.

An analysis of the climate centre's forecasts indicates that the Horn of Africa is increasingly experiencing varied climatic events that range from drought to heavy rains and higher than normal temperatures due to climate change effects.

Some 479 people were killed and more than 5.2 million people displaced by flooding caused by El Nino rains between October and December 2023 in Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Burundi and Ethiopia, according to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).