Prepare for dry period, people warned

THE National Weather Service and National Disaster Centre are warning the Government and the people to prepare to mitigate the impacts of the prolonged drought expected in the next six to 12 months.
The weather service last Tuesday declared that the country was in the El Nino stag as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event had reached the El Nino threshold, and the temperature continued to warm across the Pacific.
“The country will start to feel the impact of El Nino in 2024 and 2025 because more warming are expected in the ocean and atmosphere while the temperature would continue to increase,” weather service director Jimmy Gomoga said.
“The El Nino is finally here, meaning most parts of the country will be dry. The immediate or likely impacts will become evident between next May and June and into 2025.”
Gomoga said more than K20 million would be needed to address the impacts of El Nino based on 1997 and 2015 ENSO events.
He said the El Nino event would extended beyond six months, while the country would receive below normal or average rainfall during the coming wet season which started on Sept 13 and to end in December.
“There is evident of a severe drought onset and most parts of the country are on a drought-alert state.” Assistant director Kasis Inape explained to The National in June that this year’s El Nino had the potential to cause huge damage to agriculture, water resources, health and other climate-sensitive sectors.
He said the early indications noted that this year’s El Nino would be much worse.
National Disaster Centre acting director Laso Mana said the organisation had a plan to respond to the drought.