Part of Gogrial East Market submerged rainy water - Courtesy

Moderate rainfall is expected in western parts of the country from September 28 to October 5, 2022, the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Center has said.

The center, also known as ICPAC, predicted moderate rainfall over southern Sudan, western Ethiopia, northern Somalia, central to western Uganda, and a few parts of central to western Kenya.

ICPAC stated that the rest of the region will remain drier than usual.

In its weekly weather forecast for the IGAD region Tuesday, ICPAC predicted light rainfall over central to southern Sudan, eastern South Sudan, central to eastern Ethiopia, most parts of Somalia, Rwanda, western and southern Kenya, eastern Uganda, and northern and coastal regions of Tanzania.

“Dry conditions expected over northern Sudan, northern and eastern Kenya, most parts of Tanzania and cross border regions of southern Ethiopia and Somalia,” ICPAC stated.

On the rainfall anomalies, ICPAC said wetter than usual conditions were expected over parts of southern Sudan, north-western South Sudan, western Ethiopia, and northern Somalia.

Meanwhile, drier than usual conditions are predicted over Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, South Sudan,  southern to central Somalia, western Kenya, and central to southern Ethiopia.

“Moderate temperatures, from 20 to 32 Celsius expected over most parts of Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, eastern and northern Kenya, eastern Ethiopia, central to northern Uganda, and most parts of Tanzania.” Said ICPAC.

Last month, a weather expert with the IGAD climate center said the predicted heavy downpours in parts of the Upper Nile region could trigger yet another severe flooding in the country.

This came after the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Center predicted imminent rains in the country by the climate center.

The ICPAC had predicted that areas in central and northeastern parts of South Sudan were expected to receive above-average rains from October to December.

Paulino Omuj, a weather and climate expert working at the center said the specific areas that were expected to receive heavy rains include Duk, Ayod, and Fangak counties in Jonglei State.

The country, still struggling to overcome multiple challenges, is said to have recorded its worst flooding in decades, impacting more than 835,000 people, according to the UN humanitarian affairs office.

Record rainfall in the past three years and overflowing rivers have flooded thousands of hectares of farmland in eight states.

The situation had prevented people from planting crops, and led to the death of nearly 800,000 livestock without anything to feed them, says the UN.

Meanwhile, floods have already wrecked parts of Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Warrap, leaving thousands displaced and in dire need of relief assistance.