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Malawi: The 2014-2015 Rainfall Season: Southern Africa (December 2014)

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Highlights

• The early stages of the 2014-2015 growing season in Southern Africa were characterized by significant rainfall deficits in an area extending across eastern Zambia, northern Zimbabwe, northeastern Mozambique and Malawi. The crop growing regions of eastern South Africa and Madagascar were also affected. The rainfall deficits led to vegetation levels being significantly depressed across these regions.

• Tanzania has been the exception where good early rainfall led to a timely start of the season, though recent dryness in the north poses some concern. Early and relatively high rainfall across southern Angola, north eastern Namibia and western Botswana led to record levels of vegetation activity in mostly grassland and savannah areas.

• Overall the situation translates into marked delays in the start of the growing season – while in eastern South Africa the growing season is now under way though with delays of 20-30 days, in Zambia-Zimbabwe-Malawi and northern Mozambique, moisture conditions still have not translated into a growing season start which is now delayed by 30 days or more.

• The situation is not yet serious/critical, provided good abundant rainfall arrives in the second half of December.

• However, the most recent seasonal forecasts indicate below average rainfall for the core growing season period of January to March across Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and eastern South Africa, raising the possibility of a significant seasonal rainfall deficits, with negative impacts on crop production


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