Horn of Africa Faces Heavy Rains, Elevated Heat Stress

NAIROBI, Xinhua: Heavier-than-usual rainfall is expected in parts of the Horn of Africa in the coming days, which could lead to flash floods, the Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC) of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc, warned on Tuesday.

The ICPAC predicted that several parts of Kenya would see heavy rains exceeding 200 mm, while Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania are expected to receive rainfall between 50 mm and 200 mm.

“There is a likelihood of flash flood incidents over parts of northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia, and central to northern Somalia,” the ICPAC said in its latest forecast.

According to the climate center, some countries in the Horn of Africa would further experience temperatures of over 32 degrees Celsius, leading to elevated heat stress levels, with the “danger” category expected in parts of western Sudan and the Afar Region in Ethiopia.

The Horn of Africa is one of the regions most severely affected by prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall, and high temperatures, which have impacted food security, water availability, and livelihoods, according to the United Nations.