Expert Views

Intensive training equips forecasters to better predict Africa’s severe storms

By Dr Jennifer Fletcher for GCRF African SWIFT High-impact weather leads to devastating losses in tropical Africa each year. Precipitation forecasts from weather-prediction models remain very poor, and existing tools for very near-term prediction remain under-utilised. In September, African SWIFT is undertaking Testbed 3, an intensive two-week trialling of new approaches and tools to short-term, … Continue Reading

Is Tanzania ready for tropical cyclone Jobo?

By Hellen E. Msemo Declan L. Finney, Cathryn Birch and John Marsham for GCRF-African SWIFT The current development of the severe tropical storm over the South-Indian Ocean, later classed as severe tropical cyclone Jobo, reminds us of the other rare events where such high-impact storms have made landfall in Tanzania. In April of 1872 and … Continue Reading

How skilful are sub-seasonal precipitation forecasts for Africa?

By Dr Felipe M. de Andrade for GCRF-African SWIFT Demands for accurate sub-seasonal forecasts with intervals from weeks to months into the future are increasing across Africa. Such forecasts in particular may support decision makers to take preparedness actions for preventing or reducing the impacts of severe weather conditions on lives, properties and economic activities. … Continue Reading

Challenges and solutions to nowcasting for Africa

By Dr Alexander Roberts, National Centre for Atmospheric Research and University of Leeds A new study outlines the challenges in delivering short-term weather warnings in Africa, called nowcasting, and proposes ways solutions can be provided in the coming years. A recent GCRF African SWIFT paper published in the Royal Meteorological Society Journal Weather details approaches … Continue Reading

How a satellite dish can save lives: Ghana advances nowcasting to improve early weather warnings

By Dr. Jeffrey Nii Armah Aryee, Lecturer and Researcher at KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana Accurate weather forecasting is an essential tool of modern society, which brings benefit to human safety and livelihoods, along with economic development and prosperity. The Nowcasting Satellite Facility (NWC-SAF) provides various products that are useful for improving nowcasting potential in Africa. Ghana … Continue Reading