IGAD’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) said El Niño will likely bring heavy rains across the Greater Horn of Africa in October-December 2023 season.
ICPAC held today its 65th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF 65) for the October to December (OND) 2023 season in Nairobi, Kenya.
The forum provided a regional interaction platform for decision-makers, climate scientists, research scientists, users of climate information, and development partners.
Speaking at the forum, ICPAC director Guleid Artan underscored the importance of the uptake of early warning information for early response and appropriate programming and investments in the Greater Horn of Africa.
He also stressed on the role of climate experts and stakeholders to discuss vital strategies for climate resilience.
Artan further called on the countries of the IGAD region to get ready for the upcoming El Niño and collaborate as well as innovate for a sustainable future.
At the forum, experts presented papers on the expected negative and positive sectoral impacts for October to December (OND) 2023 in areas of agriculture and food security, water resources and energy, health, and livestock.
Accordingly, the October to December 2023 climate forecast shows a high chance of wetter-than-usual conditions across most parts of the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA).
Notably, there is an exceptionally high forecast probability of experiencing wetter than normal rainfall conditions in the eastern parts of the region, encompassing southern Ethiopia, eastern Kenya, and southern Somalia.
On the other hand, for isolated areas of south-western Uganda and south-western South Sudan, probabilities favor drier than average (below-normal) conditions.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency