Rainy season yet to start: Met Dept

Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
The rains received in different parts of the country starting yesterday do not signify the onset of the rainy season, the Meteorological Services Department has said.MSD head of forecasting Mr Tich Zinyemba said it was normal to receive some rains during this time of the year.

“It is difficult to give the exact date of the onset of the rainy season, but normally it begins end of October on-wards,” he said.
Many areas received rains yesterday with Chipinge recording 43mm, Mukandi 27mm; Chiredzi 14mm; Makoholi, Nkayi and Kwekwe all measured 11mm; Buhera 10mm; Lupane 8mm and Zaka 7mm.

Mr Zinyemba said by tomorrow there would be warm and less cloudy weather.
“The weather systems responsible for the current cloudy and rainy weather should have weakened considerably,” he said.

Mr Zinyemba said another cloud band was forecast to cover the country from Saturday, leading to another wet spell which still would not signify the start of the rain season.

Zimbabwe experienced some of the highest ever recorded day time temperatures in the past week.  The highest were on September 27 and 28 mostly in the southern areas of the country where Chiredzi recorded 43 degrees Celsius, Zaka 41, Lupane 39, Masvingo 38 and KweKwe 37.

On Sunday, temperatures started falling in Masvingo, Midlands, Matabeleland South and Manicaland as a cloud band moved into the country, leading to thunderstorms.

Mr Zinyemba said farmers should seek advice on the correct time and type of crop to plant from Agritex. The Meteorological Services Department has predicted normal  to above normal rainfall during the 2013/14 rainfall season.