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Walter Nyamukondiwa Kariba Bureau
WINTERS are no longer the same for people in Kariba as temperatures dropped to unprecedented levels, still warm by Harare standards, but freezing for a community where blankets are bought for decoration only.
For residents of Kariba, climate change now seems to be a living reality as extreme weather conditions characterise the seasons with temperatures reaching a high of around 45 degrees in 2019 and dropping sharply to around 10 degrees minimum this winter.
This is unprecedented.
The temperature change has come as a shock to people who pride themselves for going through the entire winter season without putting on anything warm from jersey to blanket.
Understandably, some had not sufficiently invested in blankets and warm clothes, which has brought much discomfort.
“Nothing burns like the cold” George Martin once wrote.
Kariba lies 490m above sea level and the semi-arid climate conditions result in low average rainfall of between 25 and 50mm, annually.
According to the Meteorological Services Department forecast, yesterday’s minimum temperature was a cool 11 degrees Celsius with maximum temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius.
Weather forecaster Mr Mike Bingandandi said the temperatures were within the long-term average.
“According to our instruments, temperatures largely fall within the normal average range. There could be some changes, but still they remain within normal ranges,” he said.
Kariba has localised weather variations owing to the rugged terrain and influence of the lake.
Weather data is produced at the weather station at the Kariba Airport, where temperatures are usually different from those obtaining in the rest of the town.
However, Kariba residents swear by their lives that things are no longer the same and there has been a progressive change in the weather patterns over the years.
Mahombekombe resident Mr Noble Chikwari, who has been in Kariba since 1976, said temperatures this year have fallen drastically when compared to other years.
“This is unprecedented. I never used to put on a jersey, but things are changing. The temperatures were low last year, but this year they are even worse.
“We never used to buy many blankets and if we bought blankets it was purely for decorative purposes,” said Mr Chikwari.
Climate data from the Weather Atlas describe the winter months of June and July in Kariba as moderately hot with average minimum temperatures of between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius.
“The first month of the winter, June is also a moderately hot month in Kariba with average temperatures ranging between a maximum of 26 degrees C and a minimum of 16 degrees Celsius.”
Another resident, Mrs Anita Daiton said there was a marked change in the weather patterns in Kariba, which was becoming more pronounced with the passage of time.
Tourism stakeholders have also used the relatively warmer winters in Kariba as a trump card to lure visitors for conferences when every other part of the country is enduring the cold weather.
Mr Laiton Kandawire said the changes in the weather pattern were now very noticeable.
“Big changes, including getting colder and early onset of the winter season. We used to advertise Kariba as having warmer winters than the rest of the country, but we cannot do that anymore,” he said.
Another tourism stakeholder Mr Justin Mabhena concurred with fellow residents that things had changed.
Online Reporter