Increased rainfall providing some relief to early season dryness in Guatemala and the Greater Horn
Poorly-distributed rainfall since October 2015 has resulted in large moisture deficits, leading to wilted crops, livestock deaths, and reduced water availability over many areas of Southern Africa. With the season coming to an end, recovery is unlikely.
Insufficient rainfall since late March has led to moderate to large moisture deficits across central Kenya and parts of southern and central Somalia. Moderate to heavy rain is expected across the Greater Horn of Africa during the next week, which should help alleviate dryness over some areas.
Irregular and poor rainfall over the past four weeks has led to increasing rainfall deficits over Liberia, portions of eastern Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, and western Ghana. Limited rain is forecast during the next week, likely maintaining moisture deficits.
Significantly heavy precipitation over eastern Ethiopia and Somalia during the last week has elevated rivers levels along the Jubba and Shabelle River Basins and has triggered flooding and damages to infrastructure over many regions in eastern Ethiopia. Torrential amounts of rainfall are forecast over the Greater Horn during the next week, which may lead to additional flooding across northern and coastal Somalia, elevated river levels along the Jubba and Shabelle, and exacerbated flooding in eastern Ethiopia.
Torrential, heavy rainfall since late April has triggered floods, damages to infrastructure, displaced populations, and fatalities throughout many regions of Kenya. Enhanced rainfall forecast is expected to sustain the risk of flooding and other adverse ground impacts during early May.