The 2022 Stakeholders Regional Climate Forum for West Africa and the Sahel has predicted early to average season starting dates in the Sahelo-Sudanian zone.
This is contained in a communiqué released on Tuesday in Abuja at the end of a week regional workshop, which was hosted by the Federal Government.
According to the forum, the forecast covers Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, some islands of Cabo Verde, the southern parts of Mauritania, Mali, south-west Niger, the northern parts of Côte d’Ivoire.
“Also, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Central Chad, “ it said.
The forum envisaged late to average end of season dates on the Sahelian strip ranging from the Cabo Verde islands to Chad going from Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Burkina Faso.
“Also, the southern parts of Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and the northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea countries (Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria),“ it said.
It envisaged shorter to average dry spell durations at the beginning of season on Sudanian and Sahelian strips, except in south-western Niger, north-eastern Benin and north-western Nigeria where average to above average dry spell durations are expected.
The forum anticipated dry spells to be shorter or average on the western half of the Sudano-Sahelian band and average or longer on the eastern half towards the end of the season.
“Flows generally, equivalent to above the average for the period 1991 to 2020 are expected on the river basins of the Sahelo-Sudanian zone, except for the basins of the Lower Niger, Logone, Ouémé and Cavally.
“ Indeed, it is expected that the flows will be above average in the Inner Delta (in Mali) and the middle basin of the Niger River, the Komadougou Yobé and the upper basins of Chari (Chad) and Volta (Burkina Faso).
“ Also, flows expected to be average to above average in the basins of Senegal, Gambia, Comoé, Bandama (Côte d’Ivoire), Mono (Togo and Benin), Lower Volta (Ghana) and the downstream part of the Chari-Logone (Chad).
“Also, average in Sassandra basin in Côte d’Ivoire, upper Niger River basin (in Guinea and Mali) and below average in Lower Niger basins including Benue (Nigeria), Logone (Chad), Ouémé (Benin) and Cavally (Côte d’Ivoire),“ it said.
The forum predicted average to above average rainfall over the May-June-July period, in most of the Sahelian strip from Chad to the Senegal-Mauritanian coast and the islands of Cabo Verde.
It further predicted average to below average in the coastal areas of southern Sierra Leone, Liberia and south-western Côte d’Ivoire and below average to average in south-eastern Nigeria extended to south-western Cameroon.
“ In July-August-September, above average to average rainfall is expected on the same Sahelian strip and average to below average on south-eastern Nigeria, “ it said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 2022 Regional Climate Forum was organised by the CILSS AGRHYMET Regional Centre, Africa Centre of Meteorological Application for Development (ACMAD).
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Others are the National Meteorological and Hydrology Services (NMHSs) with the collaboration of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the River Basin Organisations.
