SEASONAL FORECAST

GHANA METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY - RAINFALL OUTLOOK & ONSET DATES FOR THE MAJOR RAINY SEASON IN 2005

OUTLOOK: Rainfall outlook and onset dates for the major rainy season in Ghana in 2005, issued by the Ghana Meteorological Agency.

Global atmospheric circulation patterns as well as the output of the Agency’s seasonal forecast model indicate average to above average rainfall amounts over the entire country, during the respective main rainy seasons. Areas in the Upper East and West, Northern, Brong Ahafo and the northern half of the Volta region, average to above average rainfall amounts are expected during the main rainy season from July to September.

For the rest of the country, that is, areas in Southern Ghana , including the coastal areas of Greater Accra and the Volta regions, average rainfall amounts are expected from April to June. The map below shows probabilities of expected rainfall amounts either exceeding average, average or below average in the delineated areas.

Map showing the likelihood of the seasonal rainfall amount being above average, average or below average in various parts of Ghana .

ONSET DATES: The rainy season onset datesare shown in the table below.

The start of the rains will be characterised by thunder storms and strong winds and as such necessary precautions need to be taken to protect life and property during such storms.

AREA	ONSET DATES
A	10 th – 24 th MARCH
B	8 th – 22 nd APRIL
C	12 th – 24 th APRIL
D	20 th – 30 th MAY

The margin of error, in the onset dates, is ± 10 days. An update will be issued at the end of March 2005.

The start of the rains will be characterised by thunder storms and strong winds and as such necessary precautions need to be taken to protect life and property during such storms.