Blantyre District expected to receive normal rainfall from October to December and above normal in January

Vanya briefing the stakeholders

* This season we are going to be affected by La Nina which is likely to bring a lot of rains

* So different sectors within the district need to plan ahead in preparing for the coming of the rainy season

* As National Water Resources Authority warns of rising water levels in Nkhotakota District

By Pempho Nkhoma, Benedicto Maguda & Damiano Thengo, MANA

In its forecast report, the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) indicates that Blantyre is expected to receive normal rainfall from October to December while in January the district will receive above normal rainfall.

Deputy director for observation & forecasting, Charles Vanya said this yesterday when DCCMS engaged different sectors in Blantyre District to disseminate information about 2024-2025 rainy season forecasting of the district.

“This season we are going to be affected by La Nina which is likely to bring a lot of rains,” he said. “So different sectors within the district need to plan ahead in preparing for the coming of the rainy season.”

Vanya emphasised on the importance of the meeting, saying the forecast that they had issued that Blantyre will receive normal to above normal rainfall from January to April implied that there will be a lot of rains in the district.

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“We are going to have a lot of rains which may lead to waterlogging in low areas,” he said. “At the same time, we have also mentioned that there may be dry spell of over a week which means some areas may be affected with have relatively dry crops.”

Deputy director for disaster preparedness at the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), Fedson Chikuse commended DCCMS for engaging them, saying that the forecast will be useful in disaster preparedness.

“The information that they have shared is very important because it will give us a chance to prepare,”he said. “For example, they said this years rainfall will be normal to above normal which obviously indicates that we will have issues about floods in the district.”

Fedson Chikuse

Also present was chief agriculture extension officer at Blantyre ADD, Gertrude Kumwenda, who said that most farmers in the district depend on rainfall and the forecast will be useful.

“Most of the farmers here are smallholder farmers and they depend on rain-fed agriculture. Therefore, this information will assist them to make informed decision when choosing the right variety of crop, they will grow to make sure that they have bumper harvest this year,” she said.

The 2024-25 rainy season for Blantyre District is expected to last for about 120 to 135 days.

Meanwhile, National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) has warned residents in Nkhotakota to avoid undertaking any activity along water bodies of Lake Malawi as they anticipate a rise in water levels in the lake and other water bodies this coming rainy season.

Effects of high water levels in Lake Malawi this year

NWRA public relations officer, Masozi Kasambara said this on Tuesday  during an engagement meeting with senior members from area development committees (ADCs) at NKhotakota Aids Support Organisation (NASO) in the district.

Kasambara said the meeting was aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of relocating to establishments close to Lake Malawi, rivers and other water bodies, adding that projection indicates there will have high water levels in the next hydrological year than in the current year.

Kasambara further asked the general public to seek guidance from the authority whenever they are considering constructing infrastructure along rivers or shorelines.

Masozi Kasambara

He advised residents in flood-prone areas to relocate ahead of the upcoming rainy season, saying: “The prediction has it that during the next hydrological year, we will witness more water levels both on Lake Malawi and Shire River.

“But the key message that we would like to put across to the nation is that people must avoid constructing infrastructures or cultivating along the river banks or shores of Lake Malawi because this can put their lives at risk,” Kasambara said.

In his remarks, Kanyenda ADC chairperson, McPasswell Mzumara commended the initiative and assured the authority that they would share information gained during the meeting with community members.

Mzumara said Nkhotakota was hit hard by floods in February this year and many people have not recovered from the devastation and to see a repeat of the same would be unfortunate.

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