Less than normal rainfall forecast over coming months |14 February 2024
Rainfall will be lower than normal during the months of February, March and April based on the outlook of the Seychelles Meteorological Authority.
Seychelles Meteorological Authority (SMA) chief executive Vincent Amelie explained to Seychelles NATION that the rainy season is weakening, with the only month where significant rain is forecast being March.
According to Mr Amelie, December 2023 was a record-breaking month, as the wettest December ever recorded in Seychelles. Over 1,000 millimetres of rain was recorded for the month, more than double the 400 millimetres average.
Heavy rainfall on December 6 caused landslides and flooding, resulting in fatalities and significant infrastructure damage in certain areas.
Although January is usually the peak of the rainy season, recorded rainfall was just above half of the 450-millimetre average.
Moving into February, temperatures soared with less rain. This is attributed primarily to the delayed onset of the cyclone season in the south-west Indian Ocean.
“When depressions and cyclones form in our region, it can have one of two effects: either it brings rain, known as the cyclone's tail, or it brings no rain at all. This is depending on its position. Because the cyclone season started late, it mostly impacted the southern part of the region, affecting islands like Mauritius,” said Mr Amelie.
“This pulled the rain-bearing systems away from us, leading to drier and hotter conditions. Without rain during the typical rainy season months of December and January, temperatures rise significantly due to reduced wind flow,” he said.
The highest temperature recorded during January this year is 33.5 degrees Celsius. Although this is high, the highest ever recorded temperature in Seychelles was 34.8 on April 10, 2013. Minimum temperatures also rose to 28.3 degrees Celsius during the month, significantly higher than the typical range of 24 to 25 degrees Celsius.
“We have also observed that over the last 10 to 15 years, the temperature is continuously increasing, both in terms of minimum and maximum temperatures, influenced by climate change,” Mr Amelie concluded.
Laura Pillay