Inadequate weather stations posing challenges on forecast-MET

By Elijah Phompho

CHIKWAWA-(MaraviPost)-The Department of Climate Change and Meteological Services has sighted limited number of weather stations in Chikwawa as one of the challenges the department is experiencing in assessing and forecasting weather pattern.

Chief Meteologist for the Department responsible for observations and weather forecasting, Charles Vanya disclosed that when he presented the 2020-2021 down scaled rainfall pattern for the district .

He said due to financial challenges most of the weather stations in Chikwawa district became non operational and that only five weather stations in the district are active out of over 30 weather stations the district used to have.

Vanya added that the department currently issues weather forecasts for the district based on random samples generated from within some parts of the district where there are active weather stations.

He further disloclosed that the situation is simmillar in most parts of the country as the department has no adequate weather stations.

He however said the department is currently distributing automatic rain gauges in all the districts across the country to ensure that no part of the country is left out in its national weather forecasts.

Vanya said, “Every district has it’s on local factors that influence it’s weather pattern. That is why as the department we are making sure that no part of the country is left out in national weather assessment by providing automatic rain gauges “.

On his part Chikwawa District Director for Agriculture,Environment and Natural Resources, Donald Mg’ambi said Chikwawa is one of the district worst hit by effects of climate change hence there is need for accurate weather forecast in the district for farmers to plan their farming activities appropriately.

The department of climate change and meteorological services in its 2020-2021 rainfall out look projected that the country shall experience normal to above rainfall amounts due to Lanina weather conditions raising fears of floods in flood prone districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje.

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