Climate Science

When Zimbabweans hear that El Niño is coming, one of the first concerns is often drought. That concern is understandable. El Niño events have been associated with below-normal rainfall across parts of southern Africa, including Zimbabwe. But El Niño is not a drought. It is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that can influence weather patterns…

Staff Writer The Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe says a cool, moist air mass will bring widespread rain, strong winds, thunder, and lightning across all provinces from Tuesday to Thursday. The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) said atmospheric conditions across Zimbabwe are set to shift sharply as cool, moist south-easterly winds interact with a mid-level weather…

The Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife has warned of a severe drought threat driven by a persisting El Niño event that is expected to disrupt the upcoming farming season and compromise national food and water security. Officially presenting the 2026/27 Seasonal Rainfall Outlook, Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Evelyn Ndlovu, underscored the strategic…

Southern Africa will face widespread dry conditions and above-average temperatures during the 2026/27 rainy season, as a rapidly strengthening El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean suppresses regional rainfall, a latest regional climate outlook shows. The forecast was released by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), following the Thirty-Third Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum…

Staff Writer A new El Niño climate phase is projected to begin within weeks, with the drought signal expected to be most pronounced in Southern Africa as agriculture goes on high alert around the world. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has forecast a stronger-than-usual cycle, prompting advanced mapping from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of…

Staff Writer The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is poised for a period of normal to above-normal rainfall across most of its territory from February through June 2026, a new forecast shows. The official forecast, released by the Thirty-Second Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-32), indicates that while the central and inland areas…

Staff Writer The Meteorological Services Department has issued a nationwide advisory warning of increased daytime temperatures and potential moisture deficits across Zimbabwe. Effective today, through February 5, 2026, the alert indicates a high likelihood of dry and hot conditions as prevailing south-easterly winds displace the main rain-bearing Intertropical Convergence Zone further north. While the warning…

Staff Writer SADC has deployed its Emergency Response Team to support the governments of Mozambique and South Africa, following recent floods and extreme weather conditions that have resulted in loss of lives, destruction of infrastructure and disruptions of essential services. The deployment of the SADC Emergency Response Team (ERT), as part of the SADC’s regional disaster response…

Zimbabwe is poised for a shift to normal-to-above-normal rainfall for the 2025-2026 season after surviving a record-breaking mid-season dry spell during the last agricultural cycle. However, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a warning that the return of La Niña conditions brings heightened risks of flooding and tropical cyclones that could threaten…

The UN World Food Programme warns that just a 1°C increase in global temperature threatens to push an additional 70 million people into food insecurity across its 45 operational countries. Extreme weather is exacerbating a global hunger crisis, as seen in recent disasters Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean and Typhoon Fung-Wong in the Philippines. Storms,…