MALAWI WEATHER CHASERS TREE PLANTING EVENT

Malawi Weather Chasers, a WhatsApp based group that with coordination from the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS), on Thursday, 11 January 2018 organized tree-planting exercise at Chigumula Forest Reserve in Blantyre.

Right Honorable Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima 

This exercise is in support of the Malawi Government’s National Forestry Season for the 2017/2018 tree-planting year graced by the Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, Right Honorable Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima.

Members of the group comprising individuals of different backgrounds from various institutions and sectors in the country have contributed resources and sourced 6,000 tree seedlings of different species, which will be planted on a 5-hectare field allocated by the Department of Forestry. 

 

 

  Right Honorable Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima and Prof. S.Chiotha

 

The Chigumula Forest Reserve was selected to ensure survival of the trees as there are full time members of staff of the Department of Forestry whose responsibility is to take care of and protect trees in general.

 

  

Director of DCCMS Mr. J.Nkhokwe

Professor S.Chiotha, Chairman of Malawi Weather Chaser

Although the Malawi Weather Chasers group’s primary focus is on monitoring and tracking weather events, members also share information on other environmental issues that have a bearing on weather and climate patterns in Malawi and beyond.

In taking part in the 2017/2018 National Forestry Season, the group demonstrates its environmental consciousness as members have gone beyond sharing information on social media.

Students from Malawi University of Science and Technology

Malawi Weather Chasers to plant trees

LILONGWE, Malawi, Wednesday, January 3, 2018– Malawi Weather Chasers, a WhatsApp based group that was created on 30th January 2016 with coordination fromthe Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS), will on Thursday, January the 11th, 2018 plant trees at Chigumula Forest Reserve in Blantyre. This exercise is in support of the Malawi Government’s National Forestry Season for the 2017/2018 tree planting year and is to be officiated by the Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, Right Honourable Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima.

Members of the group comprising individuals of different backgrounds from various institutions and sectors in the country, have contributed resources and sourced 6,000 tree seedlings of different species which will be planted on a 5-hectare field allocated by the Department of Forestry.

The Chigumula Forest Reserve was selected to ensure survival of the trees as there are full time members of staff of the Department of Forestry whose responsibility is to take care of and protect trees in general.

Although the Malawi Weather Chasers group’s primary focus is on monitoring and tracking weather events, members also share information on other environmental issues that have a bearing on weather and climate patterns in Malawi and beyond.

In taking part in the 2017/2018 National Forestry Season, the group demonstrates its environmental consciousness as members have gone beyond sharing information on social media.  

The group – which is fully subscribed with 256 members, also wants to demonstrate that tree planting is crucial and is everyone’s responsibility to take a proactive role in the exercise. It therefore appeals to other social media based groups to go beyond online discussions and get more practically involved. 
 

SangwaniPhiri

Chairperson,

Tree Planting Organising Committee,

Malawi Weatherchasers’ WhatsApp Group

For further information, please contact SangwaniPhiri on:

Cellphone Number: 0888517040

Atmospheric Moisture Transport and JFM Rainfall Variability over Malawi

Noel Banda(1, 4), Treaser Thomas(2), Gba-gombo Jovial(3, 4), Zhang Lena(4)

(1)Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services, P.O. Box 1808, Blantyre, Malawi
(2)University of Malawi, Chancellor College, P.O.Box 280, Zomba, Malawi
(3)Direction de la Meteorologie et de l'Hydrologie, P.0.Box 941, Bangui, Republique Centrafricaine
(4)China Meteorological Administration Training Center


 Abstract

Regression and composite analysis were deployed in this study to investigate rainfall trend and variability over Malawi from 1951 to 2013. Further analysis was made to understand relation between moisture transport and variability rainfall during January to March (JFM) rainfall season. Rainfall data was obtained from Global Precipitation Climatology Center (GPCC) while Wind, Relative Humidity and Vertical integral of eastward and northward water vapor flux were ERA-Interim reanalysis dataset. Results revealed an overall of negative trend for annual long term rainfall. Spatial trend analysis also revealed negative trend over large part of Malawi with positive trend only over part of central and southern region of the country. Results of composite analysis showed that there was 40% of rainfall deviation above mean over Central and southern Malawi and were corresponding to anomalous cyclonic circulation in the Indian Ocean and low level westerly transfer of moisture from South Atlantic Ocean. The system tend to reverse during dry years where rainfall deviated 50% below mean were found corresponding to anomalous low level anticyclonic circulation and easterly transfer of moisture at low level. Relative humidity was observed below average during dry years and above average during wet years. Analysis of rainfall variability and moisture transport is vital for improvement and provision of more accurate prediction of seasonal weather forecast which will greatly help to minimize the socio-economic losses associated with extreme weather events in the region.

Key words: Rainfall variability, Moisture transport, Regression Analysis, Malawi, JFM

Climatology of annual rainfall over Malawi (32 - 36 degree East, 17 - 9 degree South) based on 1951–2013

The regression analysis of JFM precipitation positive trend (red) and negative trend (blue) in millimeters per year

(a) Mean JFM rainfall, (b) Composite Mean rainfall anomaly during wet years and (c) Composite Mean rainfall anomaly during dry year averaged over Malawi based on 1981–2013

Anomaly of moisture transport at surface in g kg-1ms-1 for (a) wet years (b) dry years, shaded is the eastward water vapour flux anomaly.

Conclusion

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the temporal-spatial rainfall distribution and variability and its relationship to low level moisture transfer over Malawi by considering wet and dry years during JFM season. Negative trend of annual rainfall was observed during the study period. Spatial trend analysis also revealed negative trend over large part of Malawi with positive trend over part of central and southern region of the country. Results of composite analysis showed that 40% of rainfall deviation above mean over Central and southern Malawi was associated to anomalous low level  cyclonic circulation in the Indian Ocean and low level westerly transfer of moisture from South Atlantic Ocean which were converging over Malawi and were accompanied by strong rising motion over the county. While during dry years the region experience reverse of this system, where negative deviations of rainfall up to 50% below mean were corresponding to anomalous low level anticyclonic circulation and easterly transfer of moisture at low level which was accompanied by sinking motion and low level divergence over Malawi. The analysis of relative humidity 825hPa exhibit positive anomaly in the central and southern region of the study region during wet years which corresponded with positive rainfall anomaly while negative anomaly during dry years which resulted in negative rainfall anomaly.

This study suggested that conclusions made in this study are relevant and can be considered in preparation of seasonal forecast to improve accuracy and reliability and this in return will help minimize impacts of such extreme events like floods and drought in future.

RECENT STUDY ON DROUGHT VARIATION IN MALAWI

Author: Noel Banda and Prof.Lu hao

Accurate detection and identification of meteorological drought variation in space and time is fundamental for alleviation and reduction of drought and take scientific measures reducing the adverse impact further at local and global scales.  This study used monthly rainfall to generate Standardize Precipitation Index (SPI) as an indicator of drought or wetness at various time scales (1 to 6 months) to understand and determine the temporal and spatial distribution of drought for the past five decades in Malawi. The Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis was also applied to examine the temporal and spatial characteristics and to identify the dominant pattern of rainfall variability from 1981 to 2010. 

The SPI findings show that the period of 1960 to 1989 was dominated by wetness while the period after 1990 was dominated by dry conditions. The results of Principal Component (PC) of EOF indicate that the first pattern accounts for 52.8 and 53.1% of the precipitation variability for NDJ and FMA season respectively, which can reflects the general dry or wet spatial patterns of Malawi. The whole country shows consistent dry or wet variation in general during the recent thirty years. The precipitation dynamic in southeastern part is the most sensitive area and the annual precipitation trend of the whole country is dominated by this region. 

The temporal series of the first EOF in NDJ and FMA both show a large inter-annual variability, but dry years, especially for the severe dry years, is increasing after 1990. Overall, both EOF and SPI analysis clearly reveal that the drought situation has been increased during the past decades and the entire country becomes drier after 1990. Findings from this study are useful for alleviation and reduction of drought disaster losses and take scientific measures reducing the adverse impacts in the study region.