With Madiba Singhateh
The Gambia’s Chief Meteorologist has said the recent period of little or no rainfall across the country should not be described as a drought, explaining that the rainy season is still in its early stages and that it is too soon to determine whether the seasonal rainfall forecast will be met.
In an interview with Foroyaa for its Environment Column, Chief Meteorologist Tijan Bojang addressed concerns over the two-to-three-week dry period experienced in many parts of the country, as well as the heavy dust storm that accompanied rainfall on 15 July.
The recent return of rainfall has brought relief to many farmers after weeks of uncertainty.
For some time, many parts of The Gambia received little or no rain, raising concerns among farmers whose livelihoods depend on the country’s short rainy season. Some members of the public questioned whether the seasonal weather forecast remained accurate as crops began to suffer from the prolonged dry conditions.
The recent rains, however, have renewed hope among thousands of farmers across the country who rely almost entirely on the three-month rainy season for agricultural production and household income.
Across the Sahel region, including The Gambia, changing rainfall patterns have become an increasing concern for farmers. In some years, rainfall has been below normal, while in others it has been above normal, often accompanied by flooding and strong windstorms.
Responding to questions about whether the recent lack of rainfall amounted to a drought, Mr Bojang said the situation should not be described in those terms. He explained that drought is determined over an entire growing season rather than over a few weeks.
“For further clarification about the situation of the rain, the lack of rain for about two to three weeks cannot be described as drought,” Mr Bojang said.
He explained the meaning of drought by saying: “Drought refers to inadequate rainfall quantity for the entire season where crops fail to reach maturity level due to insufficient cumulative total.”
According to him, it is too early in the rainy season to conclude that drought conditions exist.
“Meaning this late coming of the rains cannot be drought because it is not the end of the season; therefore, there is nothing like drought as of now unless the whole season ends,” he said.
Asked whether the Meteorological Department expected any changes to its seasonal forecast, Mr Bojang said the forecast issued before the beginning of the rainy season remains unchanged.
“The forecast for the rest of the season is still what we issued before the season started because the update is not yet due,” he said.
“One month of the JAS period has not been reached, so one cannot determine any changes at the moment.”
Mr Bojang also explained the weather conditions that accompanied the rainfall on 15 July, when strong dusty winds swept across many parts of the country before rain eventually fell.
Many residents observed that although the storm produced powerful winds and thick dust, the amount of rainfall that followed appeared relatively low.
According to the Chief Meteorologist, the phenomenon resulted from low moisture levels in the storm clouds.
“The heavy dust storm and low precipitation were basically due to low moisture concentration in the rainfall clouds,” he said.
He explained that such conditions are produced by strong downdraught winds associated with approaching thunderstorms.
“It normally happens as a result of strong downdraught winds from an approaching rain storm,” Mr Bojang said.
“When big rain clouds or thunderstorms build up, cold air rushes down from inside. That cold air hits the ground and spreads out very fast like an explosion.”
He said those powerful winds lift large amounts of dust and sand into the atmosphere before the rain arrives.
“Those gusty winds sweep up all the dry dust, sand and dirt on the ground ahead of the heavy rain and thunderstorms,” he explained.
According to Mr Bojang, the rain usually follows shortly afterwards.
“The rain comes after that dust cloud, which is basically the ‘front’ of the storm, and it normally arrives five to thirty minutes later before actual rain starts and then washes the dust out of the air,” he said.
“The rain is usually right behind that dusty, gusty wind storm.”
Asked whether this year’s rainy season was unusual, Mr Bojang said there was nothing exceptional about the current weather pattern.
“There is no peculiarity of this year’s rainy season,” he said.
“It is a normal situation for The Gambia and the Sahel region, which has homogeneous climatological characteristics.”
He described the dust storm as part of a well-known weather system common across the Sahel and desert regions.
“That is a system called a dust front, and it’s common in places like the Sahel or Desert regions and occurs right before rains,” he said.
Mr Bojang also explained that the Seasonal Rainfall Forecast differs from the daily weather forecast issued to the public.
“The Seasonal Rainfall Forecast normally covers the entire season with a focus on July-August-September (JAS),” he said.
“At the moment, we are less than one month into the period; hence, we cannot determine the outcome of the forecast of below-normal to normal conditions.”
He added, “Seasonal Rainfall Forecast is not the same as the daily public weather forecast that can be amended within hours.”
Observations gathered by Foroyaa indicate that rainfall has now been recorded in many parts of the country, from the Upper River Region to the Greater Banjul Area and the Kombo communities, easing earlier concerns about the prolonged dry conditions.
While rainfall has resumed across much of the country, residents in several parts of the Kombos continue to face environmental challenges, including widespread plastic waste, poor drainage, stagnant water and flooding in low-lying areas following heavy rains. These conditions have raised concerns among communities about waste management and the risk of flooding as the rainy season continues. This column will provide more details.
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