Author: LYDIA SHEKIGHENDA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA Meteorological Authority (TMA) has advised relevant authorities to take appropriate precautionary measures to minimize the impact of heavy rainfall on transport infrastructure as it issued the rainfall outlook for November 2020 to April next year.
TMA Director General, Ms Agnes Kijazi said in Dar es Salaam this week that basing on the issued forecast, transport infrastructure can be impaired, especially over areas where normal to above normal rainfall is expected.
“Construction activities related to transport infrastructure may also be affected. Relevant authorities are therefore advised to improve the infrastructure and take appropriate measures to minimise the impact,” she said.
Dr Kijazi said TMA has also provided early warnings to various weather sensitive sectors, such as agriculture and food security, livestock and fisheries, natural resources, wildlife and tourism, energy and water, transport local authorities, health and disaster management.
The DG noted that periods of heavy rains may cause surface water accumulation, increased surface runoff and flooding, leading to destruction of infrastructures, loss of lives and property.
She said local authorities are advised to improve and maintain urban sewerage systems to reduce the impacts of floods. “Residences of flood prone areas are advised to take necessary precautionary measures,” she said.
The authority also recommended moisture conservation techniques in agriculture to be used, especially in areas where normal to below normal rainfall is expected.
“Farmers are also advised to have a friendly post-harvest transport and storage infrastructure to avoid possible damage due to the expected excessive moisture and humidity,” she said.
According to rainfall outlook for seasonal rains, the central and southern parts of the country are expected to receive normal and above normal rains, while the western part will experience normal to below normal rains.
She said seasonal rains are specific for the western, central, southwestern highlands, southern region, southern coast and southern parts of Morogoro Region.
“These regions experience unimodal rainfall regime, which starts in November and ends between April and May of the following year,” she said.
Ms Kijazi detailed that Kigoma, western part of Tabora and Katavi Regions are expected to experience normal to below normal rains, while the eastern parts of Tabora and Katavi Regions are expected to feature normal to above normal rains.
She added that Singida and Dodoma Regions are expected to receive normal to above normal rains anticipated to start during the first to second week of November 2020.
The DG further said that Rukwa, Songwe, Mbeya, Iringa, Njombe and southern parts of Morogoro Region will experience normal to above normal rains.
“Rains in these areas are likely to commence in the second week of November 2020 and cessation is expected to be during the fourth week of April 2021,” she said.
She further observed that normal to above normal rains are expected over Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma Regions on the second week of November 2020 and will cease on second to third week of April 2021.
On progress of the short rainy season (October to December 2020), she said for bimodal areas, the season is expected to continue as issued in September 2020, whereby most areas are anticipated to feature below normal to normal rains. However, she said the off seasonal rains are expected over most areas during the month of January 2021.
