Bad news for Western Cape with no clear expectation of rain

The South African Weather Service does not have good news for the drought-ravaged Western Cape. The Weather Service says the forecasting system is not giving a clear signal of how much rain can be expected to fall in SA's winter-rainfall areas.

31 May 2017

Image Source: Theewaterskloof Dam (Photo credit: Alistair Stewart, Twitter @AliStewart89)

Image Source: HORTGRO Theewaterskloof Dam (Photo credit: Alistair Stewart, Twitter @AliStewart89)

Other international centres have also indicated similar uncertainties in their forecasts, forecaster Cobus Olivier says. Temperature forecasts, however, indicate most parts of the country will be warmer during mid and late winter than long-term averages for the season.

The weather update does not spell good news for the Western Cape, which is reeling from its worst drought in years and has recently been declared a disaster area.

The Western Cape is a large producer of winter cereals including wheat, which is used an input in the production of bread and breakfast cereals.

The Weather Service said there was still an expectation that El Niño, which is associated with drier summer-rainfall conditions, would occur during the spring/summer season, though the probability of this had fallen since last month.

Source: BDpro