Palapye.com Weather Blog

sunny

source: IOL
April 22 2008 at 02:34PM
By Lesego Masemola

Warm summer days are officially over - so get out those woollies.

Cold snaps and frosty weather are under way as the winter season begins to extend its icy grip.

South Africa Weather Bureau forecaster Venetia Magane warns that very cold conditions are in the offing for the rest of the week.

Tuesday is set to be very chilly with minimum temperatures falling to 6degC. She said while June was classified as the month when winter officially began, there was nothing unusual about the current cold and windy conditions that Tshwane was experiencing this week.

Dr Francois Engelbrecht, of the geoinformatics and meteorology department at the University of Pretoria, said the current conditions did not necessarily mean that this year’s winter would be any [continue reading]

source: News24
18/04/2008 12:23 - (SA)

Johannesburg - Snow is expected to fall on the high ground of the Eastern Cape this weekend, the SA Weather Service said on Friday.

“Snow can also be expected on ground higher than 2 000m on Saturday night,” said spokesperson Garth Sampson.

He said the Winterberg and Sneeuberg areas would be affected, spreading to the Drakensberg by Sunday.

A cold, wet weekend is expected throughout most of the province.

Heavy rains of 50mm plus in 24 hours are expected along the [continue reading]

source: allAfrica
UN News Service (New York)

24 March 2008
Posted to the web 25 March 2008

Almost a million people across Southern Africa have suffered as a result of floods, cyclones and heavy rains so far during the annual wet season, and although the worst of the weather is over for another year, problems could persist until the end of April, United Nations relief officials report.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update on the situation in Southern Africa that further heavy rains are still expected, including in central Mozambique, where the rivers are already swollen after two days of intense rainfall last week.

In recent weeks heavy rains have also hit southern Angola, Namibia and the eastern part of South Africa, OCHA reported. But Cyclone Jokwe, which struck the Mozambican province of Nampula earlier this month, has since dissipated without causing further damage to [continue reading]

source: BOPA
19 March, 2008

GABORONE The Department of Metrological Services has warned residents of Kgalagadi, Northeast and Southern Central districts to brace themselves for heavy rainfall.

The warning follows heavy downpours in some parts of the country, including Mopipi which recorded the highest amount of 226 mm, followed by Gaborone with 115 and Ghanzi with 111 mm recorded between 8 am Sunday (April 16) and 8 am Monday (April 17).

Mr Kabo Gopane, a forecast officer, said the heavy rainfalls are due to the influx of moist air from the Indian Ocean and the tropical rains from the northern interior of the sub-continent.

He said an unstable atmosphere will continue to prevail and that such conditions are conducive to the development of deep convective clouds with a potential of heavy rains that could result in flooding, especially over the northern part of the country.

For other parts of the country it would be [continue reading]

source: Mmegi

THATO CHWAANE
STAFF WRITER

The heavy rains experienced in the past few days are expected subside, giving way to mild weather in the following days.

The Principal Technical Officer, Regina Manyathelo, says Ngami and Gantsi are expected to be cloudy and mild with scattered thundershowers today.

South East, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Kgalagadi, North East, Central, Chobe and the Southern District will be cloudy and mild with isolated thundershowers.

On Thursday, Gantsi is expected to be cloudy and warm with scattered thundershowers, with the remaining areas being partly cloudy and warm with isolated thundershowers.

On Good Friday, Gantsi, South East, Kgatleng, Kweneng and Southern district will be partly cloudy and warm with scattered thundershowers. The rest of the country will be [continue reading]

source: IOL

March 16 2008 at 05:27PM

Heavy rains, cold weather and strong winds will continue in Gauteng for the rest of the week, the SA Weather Services (SAWS) said on Sunday.

This was due to a cold front passing through the area, said SAWS forecaster Evert Sholtz.

He said for the rest of Sunday, rain and heavy winds would continue and Monday would see strong winds blowing throughout Gauteng, along with heavy downpours.

“Temperatures should warm up by Tuesday but heavy isolated showers and overcast weather will continue until the weekend.”

Sholtz said another cold front was expected to enter the region next week.

He explained that tropical air from Zambia, via Botswana, along with the rain and cooler air in this region, were interacting and causing heavy downfalls.

Johannesburg metro police have asked [continue reading]

source: Mail & Guardian
Emmanuel Camillo | Maputo, Mozambique
08 March 2008 04:25

A tropical cyclone hit northern and central Mozambique on Saturday, destroying homes and cutting power lines, state media reported.

Cyclone Jokwe lashed central Mozambique before hitting the northern coastal province of Nampula, travelling with winds of up to 130km/h, Radio Mozambique said.

No casualties have been reported and the extent of the damage is not yet known.

The government declared a red alert, the highest level, in Nampula and a lesser, yellow, alert in the central provinces amid fears the storm will cause more damage.

Cyclone Jokwe is moving in a south-westerly direction toward the inland districts of Nampula, and is expected to hit the central province of [continue reading]

source: allAfrica
The Namibian (Windhoek)

5 March 2008
Posted to the web 5 March 2008

Christof Maletsky
Windhoek

PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba yesterday declared the floods in northern and northeastern Namibia an emergency.

“Thus, the necessary interventions must be put into operation to face this emergency,” a sombre-looking Pohamba told a media briefing at State House in Windhoek.

Thousands of people have been displaced, communal farmers have lost around 25 000 animals and 17 schools in the Ohangwena Region alone have been adversely affected.

“This situation repeats itself in the Oshana and Omusati regions,” Pohamba said.

The Head of State said he had no other option but to declare an emergency with an appeal to the international community to assist with blankets, food and tents in the short term, while serious reconstruction of bridges, schools and medical facilities will be needed in the long term.

“It is necessary that Government acts immediately and [continue reading]

source: BOPA
18 February, 2008
posted on the web: 25.02.2008

GABORONE - Climate change is not a standalone issue but one that cuts across others, particularly development and peoples livelihoods, says British High Commissioner, Mr Frank Martin.

Speaking at the launch of Zero Carbon City exhibition in Gaborone, Mr Martin said the earths climate was in transition and it was evident in Botswana as it was elsewhere Mr Martin told the audience that the exhibition concentrates on the relationship between climate change and urban environments.

He said if causes of climate change were not addressed, the achievements of many things, including Millennium Development Goals to reduce global poverty, would be under threat.

He said developing countries were likely to suffer most from the negative impacts of climate change because they were less able to cope with its effect and that they were heavily reliant on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture and fisheries.

We know that Sub-Sahara will suffer most if commitments are not made by developed countries, he said. As a result the world will [continue reading]

source: BBC News Africa

Nearly 145,000 people have been left homeless by a cyclone that tore through Madagascar, killing 44 people.

The figures double previous estimates of the havoc wreaked by the category three cyclone and have raised fears of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Cyclone Ivan struck the island’s east coast last Sunday, and was followed by torrential rains which caused flooding, leaving many communities cut off.

Winds gusting at more than 230km/h (140mph) caused widespread damage.

With large areas of the huge Indian Ocean island still only accessible by air or water, infectious diseases such [continue reading]

source: allAfrica
SciDev.Net (London)

21 February 2008
Posted to the web 21 February 2008

Mohammed Yahia

Climate change could pose a new threat to food-insecure Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the USAID Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET).

Christopher Funk, a geographer-climatologist from the University of California Santa Barbara and member of FEWS NET, presented their draft Climate Change Impact Report at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston, United States, last week (15 February).

The warming of the Indian Ocean and increasingly El Niño-like weather causing variable rainfall could potentially produce drought across most of eastern and southern Africa.

“Some of the most profound and direct impacts of climate change over the next few decades will be on [continue reading]

source: IOL

February 21 2008 at 11:01AM

By Arthi Sanpath

Heavy rainfalls caused havoc around the city early on Wednesday morning, and Durban’s weather office says more rain is on the way.

Residents in greater Durban’s Sea Cow Lake area were greeted with an unexpected change to their front yards when they rose early on Wednesday.

For the Abdoolas of Centre Road, a vast green area usually lay beyond their home at the end of their road, but on Wednesday they saw that the water, almost a metre high, had flooded their front yard.

Resident Nafiza Abdoola said: “We awoke at 4.30am for our prayers and saw that our entire front yard was flooded, with water also extending from the river.

“We had no way out and as [continue reading]

source: allAfrica
UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

20 February 2008
Posted to the web 20 February 2008

Johannesburg

As initial assessments shed light on the extensive damage caused by Cyclone Ivan earlier this week, Madagascar is bracing itself for another onslaught as Cyclone Hondo picks up and heads for the island’s east coast.

Ivan slammed into Madagascar’s northeastern coast on Sunday, 18 February, with winds of up to 210km per hour, leaving a trail of destruction on its way across the island until it slowly diminished in strength and dissipated in the Mozambique Channel on Tuesday.

Ivan brought “two levels of disasters: destruction caused by the intense wind first, and now the flooding”, said Dia Styvanley Soa, spokeswoman for the National Office for Natural Disasters Preparedness (BNGRC). “And we can expect more - we are in the middle of cyclone season you know - Hondo is now [continue reading]

source: BBC News

At least two people have been confirmed dead as Madagascar continues to be affected by Cyclone Ivan.

The cyclone hit the north-east coast on Sunday with winds of around 200 kph, bringing with it torrential rain.

The authorities say many areas have been flooded and several hundred people have been made homeless.

The storm is now moving down the west coast of Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island, and heading for Mozambique on the African mainland.

Despite continuing high winds and rain, a rescue helicopter has finally managed to leave the capital, Antananarivo, to try to reach the island of Sainte Marie.

The island, which lies off the [continue reading]

source: allAfrica
The Times of Zambia (Ndola)

9 February 2008
Posted to the web 9 February 2008

FIVE lodges in the South Luangwa National Park in Mambwe districthave been flooded, forcing authorities to close them down.

The Mushroom lodge and Presidential House that was recently officially opened by President Mwanawasa is among the lodges that have been flooded.

Mambwe District Commissioner (DC), John Chilowa confirmed the development in an interview yesterday.

Other lodges that had been closed due to the increased high water levels in the Luangwa river were Flat Dog, Track Trail, Marula and Crop Valley.

Mr Chilowa said that the five affected lodges had suspended their operations until next month when the water levels were likely to recede in the Luangwa River.

“Five lodges which include Mushroom, Flat Dog, Track Trail, Marula and Crop valley in the South Luangwa national park have been flooded. No life or property was lost because tour operators started shifting their properties when they saw the water levels rising,” he said.

Mr Chilowa said most tour operators acted swiftly because they [continue reading]

source: IOL
Edwin Naidu
January 20 2008 at 05:31PM

Heavy rains throughout parts of the country and the wet weather outlook for the remainder of the summer have given South African farmers hope for a bumper crop.

“Last year was terrible for farmers because it was so dry, but the recent rains and high dam levels signal it will be a good year,” said Bully Bothma, a farm owner in Bothavilla. “We are optimistic it will be a bumper season,” he said.

The dry weather throughout the country last year saw farmers lose millions because of drought. “At the start, we are always hopeful that it is going to be a good season, but the rainfall patterns look good this year,” Bothma said.

The South African Weather Services has forecast regular rainfall in parts of the country over the next few months and the outlook for the year remains positive. Dam levels, according to the department of water affairs and forestry, are higher than in the same period last year in at least five provinces.

Dams in Gauteng were 98 percent full compared with 90 [continue reading]

source:BBC NEWS

Heavy rains in the Zambezi valley have flooded four countries
Zambia has declared the floods sweeping through the country “a national disaster”.

The authorities have closed schools, converting them into shelters for thousands of displaced people.

President Levy Mwanawasa, in a television address, said a concerted effort was needed by the whole country to deal with the crisis.

More than 40 people have been killed in the region, and roads, crops and livestock destroyed.

Neighbouring Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi have also been affected by heavy rains for several weeks, causing swollen rivers to burst their banks.

On Thursday, President Mwanawasa visited some of [continue reading]

source: Mmegi

ALFRED MULENGA
CORRESPONDENT

Dangers posed by climate change are becoming increasingly evident, particularly in southern African where heavy rains and widespread flooding have caused a massive environmental nightmare in countries like Mozambique and Zambia.

In Botswana, rains and the resultant floodwaters have destroyed roads, especially in the northern part of the country, where the Nata-Pandamatenga section of the highway is riddled with gaping potholes.

Heavy-duty trucks transporting cargo to Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya in East Africa, via the Kazungula pontoon on the Zambezi River have also exacerbated environmental problem for both Botswana and Zambia.

As a result of the flooding and the pounding it is subjected to by the long-haul trucks, the Livingstone-Zimba Road has been rendered impassable due as the entire 120km stretch has developed huge craters, making driving extremely dangerous while [continue reading]

source: BBC News

More storms are forecast in areas around the Zambezi valley, where tens of thousands of people have been displaced by flooding.

Across the region the heaviest rains for almost a decade are forcing people to flee their homes, even as they try to recover from last year’s floods.

The authorities in Mozambique are preparing to help up to 200,000 people.

Many remain trapped on islands in the Zambezi or have retreated to shrinking patches of high ground near villages.

‘Saturated’

Aid workers say the situation is getting worse, and meteorologists have forecast more [continue reading]