Heavy rain is expected in many parts of Northern, Western and Southern Provinces with the exception of Amayaga region, Rwanda Meteorology Agency, has warned. The warning issued on November 10, says that heavy rain is expected from November 10 to November 20. Expected rains are due to a strong Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) which is over the region where Rwanda is located, it said. The forecast indicated that the expected rains will range between 80 and 240 millimetres within the warning period. The likely impacts, it said, include severe widespread flooding to major rivers, damage, and loss of houses, landslides, risk of loss of lives and livelihoods, poor visibility causing incidences of accidents, danger to life due to fast-flowing rivers and deep water as well as loss of infrastructure and other property. “Because of expected severe weather conditions between the 10th and 20th of November 2022, contingency plans should be put in place to avoid the likelihood of negative impacts associated with increased rainfall, particularly in disaster-prone areas. Meteo Rwanda will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates,” reads the forecast signed by Aimable Gahiggi, Director General of Meteo Agency. Meanwhile, most of the areas in Eastern province, Kigali, and part of Southern province are likely to face scattered rains and dry spells. Rwanda is offering free fertilisers to its farmers and intensifying irrigation efforts as it responds to high food prices, and drought that is threatening to cause crop production failure. According to the instructions, the support concerns maize, soya and bean farming on consolidated agriculture land, and selected large farmland based on their potential to give high yields. Speaking to The New Times, recently Charles Bucagu, Deputy Director General in charge of Agriculture Development at Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), said that drought is a serious concern that the country is dealing with now. He said that the country is responding to drought with a three pronged approach – consisting of the provision of fertilisers to crop maximize yields, especially in marshlands, irrigation, and early maturing crop seeds to farmers (such as sweet potato vine cuttings that give yield within three months and are even resistant to drought).
