Expect rains today—Met

The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has said there is likelihood that the country will receive fairly scattered thundery showers associated with local heavy downpours from today, November 15 to Sunday, November 20 2016.

It says the rains will start from the South extending to some parts of the Centre and Northern areas.

“Sporadic rains are likely to persist over Malawi until major rain bearing systems get established. During November, sporadic thunderstorms are [expected] across the country to trigger the onset of the main rainfall,” reads part of a statement on a week-long weather update released on Sunday, November 13, and signed by the department’s director Jolamu Nkhokwe.

According to the department, La Niña event, the cooling of central and eastern tropical pacific, which has developed in the central tropical Pacific Ocean along the equator, is expected to influence weather conditions during the 2016/2017 rainy season over Southern Africa and Malawi.

“La Niña events are generally associated with increased rainfall in southern Africa which include Southern and some Central areas of Malawi, and rainfall deficiency in equatorial eastern Africa that includes Northern and some Central areas of Malawi.

“These are areas where the opposite normally occurs during El Niño events. However, specific impact differs from place to place and for different seasons because two La Niña events are never alike in terms of their impact on rainfall pattern of any area. Furthermore, the strength of La Nina events and the corresponding impact do not always scale,” continues to read part of the statement.

Meanwhile, the 2016/17 rainfall season forecast released by the department last month indicated a higher probability for above normal rainfall amounts compared to previous years, which usually leads to floods. n