Network of Climate Journalists of the Greater Horn of Africa

Torrential rains that continue to pound several remote regions in Rwanda have destroyed at least 200 heactares of crops in Karongi, a district in Western Rwanda since last week, a  senior local administrative official in the region confirmed to PANA in Kigali

The Rwanda Meteorology Agency on Thursday launched a household survey for an economic analysis on benefits of weather and climate information to be conducted in some selected 15 districts across the East African country and which are mostly affected by natural disasters linked to climate.

Kenyans should expect a rainy elections day October 26th as the short rains season of October through to December picks up, according to the weatherman.

Policy makers and international development organizations gathered late Tuesday in Sudan Capital city Khartoum to debate current challenges in disaster management as Sudan joins the world in celebration of the International Disaster Risk Reduction Day.

The Kenya Meteorological Service has warned of heavy rainfall beginning Monday afternoon through to Wednesday along the Kenyan coastal strip.

The Rwanda Meteorology Agency (Meteo Rwanda) has installed four new automatic weather stations as part of efforts to expand its observation network and improve climate and weather forecasting.

Rwanda’s Minister of Environment, Vincent Biruta, has toured Maranyundo weather radar site and urged engineers undergoing a six weeks training course to maximise the use of the radar system. Doing so, he said, will support Meteo Rwanda to provide timely and accurate weather and climate information.

Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA), is hosting a media workshop for journalists upon releasing the unimodal forecast for December to April Season in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. 

The Kenya Meteorological Service says the onset of the short rains season that begins in October through to December is still within the forecast period.

The Kenya Meteorological Service has issued a warning for heavy rainfall affecting mainly the Abardare ranges region, Mt. Kenya region and South Rift Valley including Narok County.

A dozen radar engineers and operators recruited by Rwanda Meteorological Department are undergoing a one-week training to equip them with knowledge and skills on the interpretation and application of the newly introduced Doppler weather radar products and technology in the country.

Scientists are appealing to policy planners to begin integrating scientific data into development plans in order to realize benefits to society.

Rwandan minister of Refugees and Disaster Management, Jeanne d’Arc Debonheur, addressing affected communities in Huye district Rwanda's ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs on Monday said it is responding to the needs of people affected by high winds and heavy rains that destroyed 119 homes in Huye, a district in Southern Rwanda.

Torrential rains and strong winds have destroyed 119 houses in Huye, a district located in Southern Rwanda, leaving hundred of residents homeless, a senior administrative official in the region confirmed on Monday.

At least five people were killed, 18 traumatised and 1,170 houses destroyed following heavy rains in different parts of the country since the beginning of September, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs said Friday.

Burundi Meteorological department on Thursday warned that large part of the country will receive much rainfall from September to December this year.

When people flee, they lose their possessions, crops and income in South Sudan (Credit: Oxfam) The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said here Thursday that it was crucial to provide humanitarian assistance as a result of man-made crises in South Sudan, Nigeria - all of which are driven by violent conflict - and Somalia, where ongoing conflict is compounding the effects of severe and prolonged drought.

Roofs of at least 169 houses, school buildings and churches were damaged during a downpour that hit several parts of Rusizi, a district in the southwestern Rwanda, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), late on Tuesday.

Rwandan officials have started the distribution of relief materials to victims of this week's floods in the north and southeast of the country.

South Sudan's Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management in collaboration with Relief and Rehabilitation Affairs earlier this week launched a National Multi Hazard Early Warning Bulletin that aims at communicate risks and policy options more effectively to decision-makers for emergency preparedness and response between June and August 2017.

ENTISAR from Sudan Radio reports in Arabic the 46th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF-47) that took place in Khartoum from 15-16 May 2017. The theme of the forum was focusing on " Building resilience to the persisting negative impacts of prolonged extreme climate events ". The forum brought together climate scientists, researchers, users from key  socio-economic  sectors, governmental  and  non-governmental organizations, development partners, decision-makers and civil society stakeholders among others. By : ENTISAR OMAR (Sudan Radio)

Kenya Met Department says much of the country is likely to experience enhanced rainfall during the October-December 2017 season The Kenya Meteorological Service has issued an alert of torrential rainfall in the coastal region. The Weatherman says the expected heavy rainfall of about 30 millimeters that will last more than 24 hours on Tuesday 19th September, 2017 through to Thursday 21st .

Rwandan officials are wading into damage assessments after heavy rain early last week left hundreds homeless in several parts of southeast and Northern Rwanda, an official source confirmed Monday in Kigali.

A single downpour that hit Nyarusashanje subcounty of Rukungiri district, in Western Uganda, earlier this month was punctuated with unbearable flooding  that caused a power cut  in neighboring Kisizi Hospital  causing the death of two babies who were admitted  for the neonatal intensive care unit in the incubator.

The prevailing cold spell is expected to end by mid September. The prevailing cold spell is expected to end by mid September in many region across Kenya, the East African nation's Meteorological Service said.

A downpour that hit a large part of southeast Rwandan district of Ngoma late on Tuesday has left at least 221 families homeless, after destroying their properties and crops, a senior local official  revealed on Wednesday in Kigali.

The Rwanda Meteorology Agency has predicted normal rainfall from the second week of September to December.

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) - Le département rwandais de la Météorologie levé vendredi toute ambiguïté  sur un éventuel phénomène de fortes pluies qui pourra frapper le Rwanda durant les trois prochains mois affirmant que les précipitations seront plutôt  moins intenses que prévus à travers ce pays d'Afrique de l'Est.

South Sudan’s disease burden is rising rapidly in the midst of a protracted conflict that is causing widespread displacement and a major food crisis.

Djibouti friendly for Development, Integration and Solidarity (ADDIS), a  France based non-governmental organization (NGO) in collaboration with its local peer association known as "Toha" have launched a vast campaign project aimed at keeping water quality high in open ponds across this Horn of African nation.

Kenya is headed for heavy rainfall during the short rains season of October, November to December. This is the main rain season for much of the Eastern part of the country.

The recently released rainfall forecast for the October, November to December short rains could see an end to the prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa region.

Water shortage in Nairobi city and its environs will soon be a thing of the past considering the October, November and December Rainfall Pattern.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is now calling on the governments in the Greater Horn of Africa to utilize climate Early Warning information to ensure populations do not suffer adversely from climate induced disasters.

ZANZIBAR: A new mobile software application know as "Ponya Mobile Game" developed by a team of young software engineers in Kenya that was officially presented Thursday on the sideline of the 47th regional climate outlook forum taking place on island of Zanzibar, is considered to be more effective in reducing global warming impacts associated with extreme weather events and other disasters across the East and the whole Greater Horn of Africa region.

ZANZIBAR: Adaptation to climate change and specifically to El Niño phenomenon in many countries across the East African region and the whole Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) might cost an annual average of up to US$ 5.8 billion by 2050 if residual damages are considered, according to a report released by the World Food Programme (WFP) experts.

ZANZIBAR: A new official report released on Monday by the the Kenyan-based Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC) has listed top-ten factors that are described to be the likely key drivers of Climate Change vulnerability across the region.

The Rwanda Meteorological Department has installed more than 300 weather observation stations across the country in 2017 to improve climate information and in disaster warning and forecasting. While climate change now seems inevitable, this innovation seeks to expand the frontier of weather science by exploring new predictive capabilities in the East African nation.

A new weather forecasting model, developed by Rwandan meteorologists and their partners, purports to improve the quality of the climate and weather data provided to citizens and make it available to as many people as possible, PANA reports in Kigali.

The Kenya Meteorological Service has predicted continued depressed rainfall in the country. While releasing the long rains seasonal forecast, the Weathermen said except for Western, North Rift and North Western Kenya, the country will continue to suffer dry weather conditions.  This in essence means the country is not yet out of the woods and more contingency measures are needed to mitigate the resultant consequences of the drought. Reports by  Judith Akolo  from Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC)

Judith Akolo from Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) reports on how drought last three seasons hit Kenya and adversely affected four million people in the East African nation: By: Judith Akolo (KBC)

Brenda Kiprono from Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) reports how families struggle to cope with the impacts of climate change after drought in Kenya has become cyclical and predictable.

Kenya has pledged to promote policies, frameworks ,strategies and actions aimed at combating desertification. Environment cabinet secretary Judy Wakhungu   told KBC's Brenda Kiprono that recent cycles of drought have accelerated soil degradation leading to food insecurity.