Seasonal rains will be below average, says meteorological dept

Seasonal rains that have begun over parts of Uganda will be below average, thereby exacerbating the effect of the recent drought, said a spokesman for the country’s meteorological department. "We are experiencing a moderate La Nina phenomenon, which means that rains are coming in earlier than usual - but the total amount of rainfall will be below average," said Stephen Magezi on Friday. He was referring to the weather phenomenon in which the cooling of the Pacific Ocean's surface leads to a lack of moisture in the atmosphere. "It means that we are not going to achieve enough soil moisture by the time we enter the next dry season between June and July," he said. "The people will feel the impact, especially cattle keepers and hydropower- generation facilities. But the farmers will not be much affected if they plant their crops early." Much of East Africa is suffering from a prolonged drought. Water levels in rivers, reservoirs and lakes have fallen to near-record lows. In Uganda, the production of electricity at the main dam in the eastern town of Jinja has been reduced, resulting in daily power cuts across the country. In the capital, Kampala, an unprecedented power shortfall has resulted in severe rationing, with some areas having electricity for fewer than five hours a day. Despite some localised food-production shortfalls - particularly from the second harvest in 2005 - there is currently no foreseen general food deficiency in Uganda, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported last week. Across eastern Africa, some 11 million people face food shortages in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya and Somalia. In Kenya, a drought resulting from consecutive seasons of failed rains has affected some 3.5 million people in 25 districts, including 500,000 schoolchildren who require food assistance.