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Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe is expected to receive normal accumulated rainfall totals during January, February and March 2018 based on the current meteorological indicators, the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has said.

In its 2017-18 Mid Term Seasonal Rainfall Review and Forecast Update, the department said the normal rainfall pattern would vary from place to place.
“The January, February and March normal for Beitbridge is in the range 150-200mm, while the normal for Chimanimani varies between 750-800mm,” said the department.

On August 28, the Meteorological Services Department issued an outlook for the 2017/18 rainfall season. In the outlook, the country is demarcated into three regions, with Region One comprising Harare, much of Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, northeastern parts of Midlands and most of Manicaland.

Region Two consists of the greater part of Matabeleland North, parts of Midlands and parts of Mashonaland West, while Region three includes Masvingo, the bulk of Midlands, the extreme southern parts of Manicaland and the bulk of Matabeleland South.

“In the August 2017 seasonal forecast, the three-month period October-November-December, Region One was forecast to receive normal to above normal rainfall,” said MSD.

“For the same time period, regions one and two were forecast to receive normal to below normal rainfall. For the period January-February-March 2018, all regions countrywide were forecast to receive normal to above normal rainfall. There were erratic rains in October in most parts of the country. An official meteorological start of the season was only after the first week of November in most places.”

The department said it should be noted that in the Mashonaland and Harare provinces, the rainfall season had just started, which is the norm. The department said accumulated precipitation totals for the period October 1 to December 13 are highest along the main watershed and the distribution across the country reveals that 71 percent of meteorological stations dotted around the country recorded 100mm or more.

“The Meteorological Services Department will continue to issue daily weather forecasts and 10-day weather bulletins that will take into account any changes that might occur for the forecast period,” said MSD.