Farmers across the southern part of the country have been urged to brace for significant dry spells this year, a development expected to affect crop production, water availability, and increase fire risk in some communities.
Two significant dry spell periods are projected during the 2026 major rainy season, and from the projection, some dry spells are expected to occur within the rainy season and may affect agriculture, water availability and fire risk in some areas.
“The first dry spell will start in March to April 2026.
The second dry spell is between May and June 2026. This longer dry spell will last between 12 and 17 days and is likely around areas such as Cape Coast, Saltpond, Takoradi, Sefwi Bekwai and Ejura,” the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, said during a presentation of this year’s weather forecast.
The forecast was presented during the launch of this year’s Meteorological Awareness Month in Accra on February 24.
This year’s event is on the theme: “Observe today, Protect Tomorrow”.
Awareness month
Activities lined up for the celebration include the inauguration of a new weather station at Achimota SHS, media engagements on the State of the Climate Report and seasonal forecast, and Climate Connect outreach to institutions and communities.
The participants
Interactive Yen Kasa sessions will engage youth, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and women, while ceremonial activities on World Meteorological Day will include the launch of the Ghana Climate Atlas and GMet’s strategic documents.
Local awareness campaigns, open-air forums, and community engagement will culminate in the inauguration of the new Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMET) building, staff activities and games, with targeted visits to key stakeholders to promote the use of official weather and climate information.
Dry spell
The seasonal outlook prepared by GMet indicated that the March–April dry phase will vary in intensity across the southern part of the country.
Atebubu and its surrounding areas are expected to experience a relatively short dry spell of about six days.
Across most parts of the forest zone, dry conditions could persist for around seven days, while Tarkwa may record up to 10 consecutive rain-free days.
Along the coast, particularly in Accra, Tema and Ada, longer dry stretches ranging between nine and 15 days are anticipated during the first phase.
Rainfall
Despite these projected interruptions, the onset of the 2026 major rainy season across southern Ghana is expected to be normal to slightly earlier than usual in most areas.
“Rains are projected to begin from the third week of February across large parts of the transition zone, forest zone and coastal zone,” Mr George noted.
He, however, indicated that consistent rainfall in areas such as Sunyani, Tarkwa, Dunkwa, Abetifi, Asamankese, Akuse, Akim Oda, Ho, Saltpond and Axim might only set in early March.
For the March to May period, he said cumulative rainfall was expected to be below normal in parts of the south-western sector and the eastern coastal belt, including Dormaa, Sunyani, Cape Coast, Saltpond and Tarkwa, while most other parts of the southern part of the country were projected to receive normal to slightly above-normal rainfall.
According to the forecast, the rainfall amounts are expected to improve significantly between April and June, particularly along the east coast and adjoining inland areas such as Cape Coast, Saltpond, Tema, Accra, Asamankese, Koforidua and Kade.
Cessation
Mr George said cessation of the major rainy season was projected to occur between July and August 2026, with the overall duration expected to range between 100 and 130 days across most parts of the southern part of the country.
He urged farmers, urban residents and local authorities to take the forecast seriously and plan ahead to minimise weather-related risks to lives, property and livelihoods.
GMeT upgrade
Mr George also highlighted the broader government vision for strengthening weather and climate services.
“Today’s event has anchored in government’s clear and deliberate vision to reposition the GMeT as a center of excellent weather and climate service delivery, not only for Ghana, but for the wider sub region.
This vision aligns strongly with the President’s message in the last State of the Nation address, where he highlighted the inadequacy of infrastructure for early warning and climate information, an issue that directly affects lives, livelihoods, and economic growth.
And I dare say that the ministry is working very closely with the board and management to work on the retooling of GMeT this year,” he said.
He said that ongoing initiatives aim to expand national digital infrastructure, improve access to information and communication technologies, and ensure timely, accurate and accessible weather and climate information as a critical public good in a changing climate.
He added that the government was reviewing laws and policies to integrate emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, internet of things and machine learning to modernise the sector.
Mr George added that the transformation agenda included upgrading GMet from an agency to an authority, implementing the internationally recognised Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), integrating weather alerts into global platforms like Google, Windy, Meteor Blue and the World Meteorological Organisation, and ensuring full operationalisation of CAP across all telecommunication networks in the country.
He also announced the construction of the GMeT Towers, a new headquarters that will serve as a symbol of the agency’s transformation, strengthen coordination, and enhance service delivery.
Deepening public understanding
The Director-General of GMeT, Dr Eric Asuman, indicated that accurate measurements of rainfall, temperature, wind, humidity, pressure, solar radiation and visibility formed the backbone of all seasonal outlooks and early warnings.
He detailed ongoing efforts to upgrade Ghana’s meteorological infrastructure, including the installation of automatic weather stations, digitisation of historical climate records, and modernisation of real-time data systems to strengthen forecast precision.
“Without reliable infrastructure and robust data networks, national preparedness is compromised, putting lives, investments and development at risk.
Through this month, we aim to deepen public understanding, formalise partnerships and promote resilience in every community across Ghana,” Dr Asuman said.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh