On Monday, we painted a somewhat optimistic picture regarding the weather outlook this year, basing our opinion on the South African Weather Service’s report which indicated a possibility of above-normal rainfall over most parts of the summer crop growing areas between November 2018 and January 2019, with a chance of dryness later in the summer season due to an expected El Niño. 

Current conditions: Rain continued over most of the Western Cape and adjacent Eastern Cape during September 2018.

The weather was a key focus this week, not only because the 2018/19 summer grain planting window has recently opened in the eastern and central parts of South Africa, but also because of the mixed weather prospects for the season.

El- Nino is woord wat dadelik aandag trek as dit kom by weerstoestande- Menige weerprofete het al diep in die klei getrap as dit kom by lang termynvoorspellings. Dit is nie maklike taak nie. 

Admittedly, it is too early to tell how most Southern African countries will cope with the expected weak El Niño in the summer season.

OK, folks, I typically spend Saturday mornings on hiking trails — a habit I picked in my Stellenbosch days.

Dis mielieplantyd in Suid Afrika en elke streek het sy eie plantdatums soos wat geskiedenis dit bewys het en opbrengste gemeet is.

Important Issues- South Africa -First tropical cyclone in the Western Indian Ocean as well as first real El Nino development is negative for the short term as well as second part of the summer season respectively.

Colombian banana grower association Augura has warned producers to prepare for the upcoming El Niño weather phenomenon.

Important Issues

Uncertainty about rainfall for rest of the summer season remains high.
Early frost poses a risk to the maize crop, especially in the northwest Free State.

A sharp improvement for rainfall conditions for most of the Summer Rainfall Areas for weeks to come. It also will lower the frost risk but increase the risk for insufficient growth related temperatures to complete development cycle of late planted summer crops.

El Niño has looked “imminent” since October, but the wait is over. Happy Valentines Day-Niño to all the climate nerds.

1. Current conditions
The best rainfall of the season occurred in many areas in the last week of April 2019. Flooding occurred in areas like KZN, Eastern Cape, parts of the Free State and smaller areas in Gauteng and Northwest Province.

Zimbabwe ‘s Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister, Vangelis Haritatos is confident the country is still in a safer position in terms of food security, despite the El Nino induced drought that affected almost nine countries across the SADC region, including Zimbabwe.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently flagged a set of climate hazards that debilitated southern Africa. The United Nation agency’s report marked out poor and erratic seasonal rainfall, mid-season dry spells and early cessation of rain, coupled with devastating cyclones.

A major supplier of maize to fill the gap in Zimbabwe’s last harvest is Tanzania, which had a significant surplus thanks to the same El Nino weather conditions that generated a drought across much of Southern Africa, but generated above average rainfall across most of East Africa.

LA NIÑA kan ook aanleiding gee tot tropiese siklone, soos die onlangse Eloise, sê prof. Francois Engelbrecht, klimatoloog van die Global Change Institute aan die Universiteit van die Witwatersrand. En, waarsku hy, die weer kan vorentoe nog stormagtiger raak.

The World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO’s) declaration comes against the backdrop of already blistering temperatures worldwide and things are seen heating up from here.

It's the winter chill relinquishes its grip on South Africa, the nation is bracing for an enigmatic weather phenomenon that has the potential to disrupt the delicate balance of its ecosystems and communities: El Niño.