Africa Update #47: Heavy rainfall continues across central Africa

Precipitation continued to come down heavily from eastern Niger down to Lake Victoria. Meanwhile season-long deficits are starting to get too high to ignore across Cote d'Ivorie and Ethiopia. Continued poor rainfall in North Sudan and Eritrea has caused major damage to cropping activities. Most of west Africa, however has maintained good ground moisture throughout the season.

Africa Update #46: Rainfall Pattern Flips

Thus far this season, precipitation has been plentiful from the Nigeria-Benin border westward, with a few isolated exceptions. Meanwhile, eastward from that point, rainfall has been generally lacking, with a few exceptions. This arrangement of precipitation has flipped around this axis suddenly, and for the most part, that is a good thing.

Africa Update #45: Moisture Returns to Gulf of Guinea Coast

Moisture is picking up, and deficits are dropping, all along the Gulf of Guinea coast. Precipitation was light this past week in marginal parts of North Sudan and Chad. Across the rest of the Sahel and Ethiopia, rainfall has continued to be reasonably consistent. Seasonable rains continue in the Atlas Mountains, as dry weather continues over most of Libya.

Africa Update #44: Improvement over the Sahel, Rains Faulter near Gulf of Guinea

Improved moisture has all but eliminated precipitation deficits in Niger and Chad, although concerns still linger about dryness in North and South Sudan. Precipitation has almost shut off across some Gulf of Guinea countries and ground moisture remains anomalously low across Nigeria. In the east, precipitation remains steady over Ethiopia. Seasonable hot and dry weather continues in Libya.

Africa Update #43: Excessive Rainfall Around Lake Chad Causes Flooding

Heavy rainfall slammed the greater Lake Chad area affecting Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon. Positive rainfall anomalies were reported from parts of every country from North Sudan to Senegal, though season long deficits and inconsistency remain overriding problems for Africa. A drier than normal mid-summer break in the rains along the Gulf of Guinea coast.

Africa Update #42: Deficits growing, and spreading, in west Africa

Rainfall deficits have spent the last week growing and spreading in west and central Africa. Precipitation is now only at or above normal in Mali, Burkina Faso and parts of the Central African Republic. Just about every other country is facing deficits to one degree or another. In Ethiopia, although moisture isn't quite meeting climatology, rainfall has been consistent all season long.

Africa Update #41: Rain Still Insuffiecent in much of the Sahel

From Niger and Niger eastward to North and South Sudan, moisture continues to be erratic and insufficient. In the east, The Gambia and Sengal are also struggling to receive enough moisture, and that dryness extends southward along the coast. Heavy precipitation over the Central African Republic is the exception to this dry trend. Here flooding, especially in low lying areas is likely. The Ethiopian highlands continue to receive steady rainfall.

Africa Update #40: Rainfall Pattern Remains Static across Africa

Precipitation in Africa has continued to not be sufficient in much of the Sahel. This leaves moisture below normal from Niger and Nigeria eastward to Sudan. Cote D'Ivorie, Liberia and Ghana have had some rainfall problems, although there is a brief easing in the rains that is typical for this time of the year. Western Ethiopia has been having a good season.

Africa Update #39: Moisture deteriorating across the Sahel

As rainfall continues to be below normal across much of the Sahel, concerns are rising about patches of failed crops from Nigeria to Sudan. In east Africa, the food crisis is now building to a head, parts of Somalia have been declared to be in a famine by the UN, and more territory in Somalia, and possibly Ethiopia and Kenya may follow.

Africa Update #38: Emergency looms in Nigeria and both Sudans

A major emergency is possibly building in Nigeria and Sudan and newly independent (as of yesterday) South Sudan if rainfall does not stabilize across these regions. Looking over a wider area, more moisture is still needed in western Niger, Burkina Faso, much of Chad, and the Central African Republic. Off to the west rainfall remains plentiful; and in Ethiopia, despite a couple of weeks of poor precipitation, rainfall remains well distributed.

Africa Update #37: Rains slipping in the eastern Sahel, famine near certain in Somalia, Kenya

In an area stretching from Niger to Cameroon to Sudan, the rains are becoming erratic and light, threatening crops, livestock and people. Poor rainfall from last season is threatening to cause a famine, primarily in Kenya and Somalia. Northern Africa is now drying down, as is seasonable for this time of year.

Africa Update #36: Deficits continue from Sudan to Nigeria

While most of Africa has been seasonable, a belt stretching from Sudan to Nigeria has had poor rainfall, especially in some of the marginal and pastoral areas. Further to the west and east, rainfall has been near normal, to slightly above normal. Meanwhile along the Mediterranean Sea, light to moderate precipitation has continued across Morocco and Algeria.

Africa Update #35: Relief arrives in Chad

Rainfall surged into Chad, bringing some parts of the country, particularly the marginal areas, into positive rainfall totals for the season. Dryness, however, remains a problem in Chad, and nearby countries. Rains continue in Ethiopia, as the country is on track for a reasonable season. Far west Africa is also having an average wet season, although the rains have been slightly slow moving into Senegal. Precipitation continues in Morocco and Algeria, with trying further east.

Africa Update #34: Rains Continuing to Fail in Chad

Precipitation has been terrible in Chad, and nearby areas of surrounding countries, mainly Sudan and Central African Republic. Light rains this past week in far western Africa have provided some opportunity for field work, while rainfall continues to improve across Ethiopia. The active pattern in northern Africa continues to bring rain to the Maghreb.

Africa Update #33: Dry Corridor Developing in West Africa

A swath of Africa, centered on Chad has been dry all season long. Ethiopia's long season is progressing well, especially in the north around Lake Tana. Meanwhile northern Africa continues a good growing season with sufficient rains, some of which have caused minor complications to the Libyan Civil War, although it does not seem to be playing a major role.

Africa Update #32: Improvement in West Africa

This past week brought significant improvement to the available moisture in west Africa. Elsewhere, rains continue to look good in the Ethiopian Highlands and across the Maghreb.

Africa Update #31: Rains start Pulling out of GHA, insuffient in West

Northeast Kenya never received rain, and most of the rest of the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) are not fairing much better. Meanwhile in west Africa, eastern parts of the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea have been deteriorating since the  wet season began. In north Africa, moderate rainfall may be complicating the NATO mission and the civil war in Libya, as seasonal rains continue in other parts of the Maghreb.

Africa Update #30: Acute Food Security Emergency in GHA

The biggest event going on in Africa the world, as far as meteorology and food security is concerned, is the second consecutive failed wet season in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA). The impacts of this could develop into a famine, but at the least the situation has reached the "Emergency" stage. Elsewhere, rainfall is starting up well in the western Sahel, however closer to the GHA, Sahelian rains have been poor. In the north, dry weather continues in Libya, as moderate rainfall continues across Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

Africa Update #29: Rainfall finally widespread in the GHA

Although this weeks rainfall requirements have been met in most of the the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA), this does nothing for past month and a half of deficits. In the west, rainfall is increasing, however, some of the more eastern areas are starting to show some dryness. Another wet week in Morocco, and in the south rainfall has just about shut off for the season.

Africa Update #28: GHA Drought may be Expanding

Poor rainfall totals in the Greater Horn of Africa appear to be spreading westward into some parts of the eastern Sahel. Meanwhile, early season rainfall continues to look good across most of west Africa, although some areas could use an increase in precipitation. Precipitation is hanging on longer than usual across Namibia and Angola, but generally winding down in the south. Morocco has had very heavy rain for the last week, causing flooding, with seasonable conditions across the rest of northern Africa.