Hii ni nyongeza kwa taarifa zaidi:
Kenya, Tanzania forecast heavy rains from October
By Helen Nyambura-Mwaura
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya and Tanzania are likely to receive heavy rain during the wet season starting in October, which will quench Kenya's parched farm lands and replenish its hydroelectric dams, meteorologists predict.
Over 10 million Kenyans are facing famine due to at least four consecutive seasons of failed rains that have also affected output from tea and coffee farms, important foreign exchange earners for east Africa's biggest economy.
"The expected enhanced seasonal rains are driven by the presence of an evolving El Nino," the Kenya Meteorological Department said in a statement on its website.
"Heavy storms are likely to occur during the season, and more so, during the rainfall peak month of November. However, the levels of enhancement are not likely to reach those that were recorded in 1997/98 period."
El Nino is a phenomenon in which changing sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean affect weather around the world by bringing drought to some places, heavy storms or harsh winters to others.
The phenomenon caused Kenya to received abnormally heavy rainfall in 1997/98 but Tanzania does not expect a repeat.
"Every El Nino comes with its own characteristics," Philbert Tibaijuka, acting director general of Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) told a news conference.
The current Pacific build-up looks like a mild version of El Nino, which has in the past brought devastation around the globe, according to the United Nations weather agency.
Kenyan meteorologists predict flooding and landslides are likely to occur in parts of western and Central provinces.
Kenya has not had adequate rainfall since 2007, which caused water levels in its dams to fall below desirable levels and forced the country into a water and power rationing programme.
The main electricity producer has closed one plant to free up water for a second station downstream. It has also had to contract a British firm to generate electricity by burning fossil fuels.
But the expected rains will be adequate to replenish the dams and boost power production, especially on the Seven Folks dams, the meteorological department said.
TMA said northern coastal regions like Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Zanzibar and Pemba islands would get normal to above normal rain, as will areas around Mount Kilimanjaro. Some areas in the south could however get below normal rains, TMA added.
Source: Reuters
Date: Thu Aug 27, 2009