The rainfall forecast for the next 24 hours (Map 1) indicates no rains in the country except a few pockets of Sanaag in the north and Gedo in the south that may receive light rains. The rains are however expected to increase towards the end of the week spreading in several places across the country. The cumulative rainfall forecast for the week which ends on 25 April 2017 (Map 2) shows moderate to heavy rains Somaliland and western parts of Puntland. A few pockets of Bari and Nugaal will also see light rains during the forecast period. Other places that are expected to receive good rains include the southern and central regions bordering Ethiopia. Moderate to heavy rains are also foreseen in the Ethiopian highlands which may lead to increased river levels inside Somalia towards the end of the week. Lower Juba, Lower Shabelle and the coastal areas of Galgaduud and Mudug regions will remain dry.

The Gu 2017 rainy season started in parts of Somaliland during the last week of March with the southern parts of Awdal region recording heavy rains that were distributed within five days. This brought an immediate relief to water stress in the area. The other parts of the country are expected to start receiving the Gu rains by mid April. The rainfall forecast for today (Map 1) indicates light rains of up to 20mm in the southern regions, parts Somaliland and the Ethiopian highlands. The rains re expected to increase in the same areas towards the end of the week as seen in Map 2 which is valid up to 11 April 2017. Little or no rains are foreseen in Puntland and central regions during the forecast period.

The rainfall forecast for the next 24 hours indicates no significant rains in the country. The cumulative rainfall forecast for the week which ends on 26 April 2017 shows moderate to heavy rains Somaliland and western parts of Puntland. A few pockets of Bari and Nugaal will also see light rains during the forecast period. Other places that are expected to receive good rains include the southern and central regions bordering Ethiopia. Moderate to heavy rains are also foreseen in the Ethiopian highlands which may lead to increased river levels inside Somalia towards the end of the week. Lower Juba, Lower Shabelle and the coastal areas of Galgaduud and Mudug regions will remain dry.

Xilligii Guga sanadka 2017 wuxuu ka bilowday qaybo ka mid ah Soomaalilan intii lagu guda jirey toddobaadkii laga soo gudbay ee Maarso iyadoo qaybaha koonfureed ee Gobolka Awdal la diiwaaniyey roobab mahiigaan ah oo ku fidsanaa shan maalmood. Tani waxay keentay in degdeg looga soo kabsado cadaadiskii deegaanka biyaha ka haystay. Qaybaha kale ee dalka waxaa la filayaa in ay bilaabato helitaanka roobabkii Guga marka la gaaro bartamaha Abriil. Saadaasha roob-da’idda maanta (Khariidad 1) waxay muujinaysaa roobab fudud oo gaaraya ilaa 20mm gudaha Gobollada Koonfureed, qaybo ka tirsan Soomaaliland iyo Buuraleyda sare ee Itoobiya. Roobabka waxaa la filayaa inay ku kordhaan isla deegaannadaan ilaa dhammaadka toddobaadka sida lagu arkayo gudaha Khariidadda 2 taas oo sax uun ku ah ilaa 11 Abriil 2017. Xoogaa ama roob la’aan ay la saadaalinayaa gudaha Puntland iyo Gobollada Dhexe inta lagu guda jiro muddada la odorosay.

The Gu rains started in may parts of Somalia with below average performance in Southern regions. During the second Dekad of April 2017 (11th – 20th), there was a reduction of rainfall activities in in many places from the previous dekad. The season is yet to start in Puntland and the central regions of the country which remained dry remained dry during the same period causing more concern in the drought stricken areas. Moderate rains received in the in the Ethiopian highlands in the beginning of the month led to an increase of river levels along the Juba and Shabelle.

Light rains were reported in a few places in southern regions of Somalia in the last 24 hours. Belet Weyne in Hiraan recorded 5mm of rainfall while Wanle Weyne in Lower Shabelle, and Bur Hakaba in Bay received a total of 10mm and 8mm respectively. Light rains were also reported in a few pockets of the western side of Somaliland while no rains were reported in Puntland during the same period. Field reports also indicate light to moderate rains within the Ethiopian highlands. The rainfall forecast for today (Map 1) indicates light rains of up to 20mm in the southern regions, parts Somaliland and the Ethiopian highlands. The rains will increase in the same areas in terms of space and quantity as the week progresses as seen in Map 2 which is valid up to 12 April 2017. Little or no rains are foreseen in Puntland and central regions during the forecast period. Given the forecast, the river levels along the Juba and Shabelle are expected to increase with no risk of flooding during the coming week. The levels and rainfall forecast are updated on a daily basis and can be found in this link: http://systems.faoso.net/frrims/

The Gu 2017 (March/April to June) rainfall forecast points towards near-normal to below-normal rains within the Juba and Shabelle River basins. However, flooding along the two rivers may still occur, especially in areas with open river banks/weak river embankments, in the event of increased river flow. SWALIM has updated the status of the river breakages by mapping them using available Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite imagery and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM); as well as verifications based on field observations where feasible. All the observations reported refers to the latest suitable VHR satellite image available, which is indicated in the online database. Four types of breakages have been identified, namely; open, potential, closed with sandbags and closed. The open breakages are those that are still open as observed on the latest VHR image available, therefore a field verification is needed before planning any repair. The potential breakages represent points that have weak river embankments. The closed with sandbags points are defined here as those that been temporarily closed with sandbags making them still vulnerable for further breakages. The closed points are those that were previously open but have since been closed using heavy machinery, which prevents further flooding in the short to medium term. The attached maps show the open, potential and closed with sandbags points along the two rivers. In summary, eighteen (18) open points along the Shabelle and nineteen (19) along the Juba were identified. Several other points, which are either potential or temporarily closed with sandbags, have been identified. It is worth noting that the methodology relies heavily on satellite images with limited field verification. Open breakages might have been omitted in some cases where satellite images may not have been very clear (e.g. heavy cloud cover) or were not available at all. Maps of the status of river breakages, with detailed information, have been produced at large scale and can be obtained from SWALIM offices.

Most parts of Somalia are facing serious drought conditions with the larger part of the population facing severe to extreme drought conditions. Since the last half of 2016, the severity has been spreading spatially and the impacts getting worse with time. Some climate models are already predicting a poor rainy season in the coming season which may further aggravate the existing drought conditions. However, this forecast will be confirmed in the coming month during a regional Climate Outlook Forum. The months of January and February usually experience the lowest amounts of river flow along the Shabelle River. January 2017, has however seen significantly below normal levels along the river since the beginning of the month. Some parts of the river in the lower reaches have dried up. This has been caused by below normal rains experienced in the upper parts of the Shabelle basin during the previous season which in turn has led to reduced river flow and over utilization of the river water for various uses both in Ethiopia and inside Somalia.

There will be reduced rainfall activities in most parts of Somalia in the coming three days with exception of the lower reaches of Juba and Shabelle regions where light rains are expected in the forecast period. Moderate to high rains are also foreseen within the Ethiopian highlands in the next three days.

Waxaa guud ahaan Soomaalia la filayaa roob yaraan saddexda maalmood ee soo socota, marka laga reebo meelaha xeebaha koonfureed kuwaas oo laga yaabo inay helaan roobab fudud. Qaybta biyo-qabatinka sare ee Webiyada Juba iyo Shabeelle ee xagga buuraleyda saree e Itoobiya waxay iyaduna sidoo kale ahaan doontaa qalayl isla muddada iyada ah.