Over the weekend, there has been a resurgence of the Harmattan over the entire country. This unusual phenomenon has left many wondering what the actual cause of this could be, and the possible challenges that may be associated with it.
In a communique issued by the Forecasters’ WEB (KNUST), the recent awakening of the Harmattan is as a result of the intensification of the two sub-tropical high pressure systems, north of Africa (Azores to the west and Siberian to the east). This has led to the south westward transport of dust from Chad and also the movement of the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity (ITD) in the same direction.
The resurgence of the harmattan will heighten respiratory diseases, reduce visibility and the amount of solar energy that reaches the earth’s surface, render surfaces dusty among others.
The general public is therefore cautioned to stay hydrated, use face masks where necessary and exercise caution when driving, as visibility remains low.
The Forecasters’ WEB (ForWEB-KNUST ) is a group at the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. ForWEB-KNUST comprises of undergraduate students offering Meteorology and Climate science and supervised by lecturers at the department. Its mandate is to serve both the university community and the entire country by generating and issuing daily weather forecast. Forecasters’ WEB (KNUST) also embarks on outreaches to schools and communities to educate the citizenry on weather and climate-related topics.