After a wet December, the driest January in years
Namibia has recorded one of its driest Januaries in 45 years, according to the Meteorological Service’s Climate Watch report. After an exceptionally wet December, January saw significantly lower rainfall across most of the country. Only the north-eastern regions and some parts of eastern Hardap were exceptions.
Rainfall in the Zambezi region was recorded only sporadically. Sachona reported 442.9 mm, followed by Kasheshe with 338 mm and Katima Mulilo with 311 mm. In many other areas, totals remained well below 200 millimetres.
South-eastern regions often saw temperatures above 28 °C, while central and north-western areas stayed cooler, largely due to cloud cover and, in some places, persistent rain.
La Niña conditions continued through January. According to Meteona, a shift to neutral ENSO conditions is expected from February to April, with forecasts for April to June indicating above-average temperatures across much of the country.
Residents along the northern rivers have been urged to stay vigilant as rising water levels increase the risk of thunderstorms and flash floods.
