SAHEL WEATHER AND CROP SITUATION REPORT - 9 August 1996

Abstract

Following generally adequate rains in May and June, except in Burkina Faso which registered two mostly dry dekads in mid and late June, precipitation remained below normal in early or mid-July in northern Senegal, western and central Mali, most parts of Niger and in the Sahelian zone of Chad where substantial replantings have been necessary. However, rains increased significantly and progressed northwards during the last dekad of July, notably in southern Mauritania, western and central Mali and in southern and central Chad where they benefited recently planted crops. Widespread and abundant rains in July helped desalination of swamp rice in Guinea Bissau and crop emergence in The Gambia. In Cape Verde, rains have started on all islands, allowing first maize plantings. Overall, although growing conditions have improved since late July, crop prospects remain uncertain in several countries. The last Meteosat satellite image up to the morning of 9 August (i.e about 4/5 of a full deka d) is indicating that rains decreased significantly over the Sahel, although cloud coverage remained widespread over the main producing areas, except in central and northern Mali and central and eastern Niger where no clouds were present (or only shortly). Therefore, some, but limited, rains are likely to have been received over most parts of Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, south-west and south-east of Mauritania, western and south-eastern Mali, northern Burkina Faso and western Niger. Rains have been more abundant over southern and central Burkina Faso and Chad. Following good precipitation in late July, soil moisture reserves have been generally reconstituted, but more rains are needed to avoid water stress, notably in Senegal, in western, central and northern Mali and in central and eastern Niger.