06 Oct 2020

Some elders in Ngamiland have predicted a good rain season

In an interview, the elders stated that more rainfall would be experienced this year saying the recent hail storms signalled good rain.

Strong winds left some families homeless and properties destroyed including shops, farms, trees, houses among others.  

Kgosi Maeze Maeze of Seronga whose house was also damaged by the strong winds said the incident was paving way for more rain to come.

The hailstorm, he said, was not the first of its kind in the region adding that historically after spring season, they expected early rain showers in October.

The showers, he said, were a warning that heavy thunder showers would follow suit.

Reverend Kgosi Kegaisamang Ramokwena of Boseja ward in Maun concurred that this year would not be a year of hunger since they were expecting heavy rain.

In the past, he said after spring season in September, elders encouraged families to clean their yards and surroundings as well as removing carcasses around water points in preparations for the coming of the rain.

He acknowledged that some water sources had experienced decline in water levels, but stated that they would would be flooded soon saying the dry spell that befell the district last year would not be experienced this year.

For his part, chief technical officer from meteorological services in Maun, Mr Omphemetse Mokgweetsi, said the weather forecast had indicated that the SADC region would experience more rainfall this year.

He said they were expecting floods from Angola and would eventually flow into Mohembo River which fed the Okavango system and other water points.

He said water levels would increase. Mr Mokgweetsi explained that last year the rain condition was neutral adding this year’s rain season would be La Nina, hence good rain

Meanwhile, the Okavango system which experienced hydrological drought since the 2018/19 hydrological year, re-activated during the 2019/20 hydrological year as a result of above normal rainfall experienced upstream in Angola and Namibia.

The water levels and flows at Thamalakane River reached its peak on the July 14 and currently receding while at the lake area, it was anticipated that the inflows would cover at most about 50 per cent mainly because the flows along tributaries feeding the lake were declining gradually since the beginning of August. ENDS