Meteorological Department takes weather forecasts to rural masses

In a bid to provide weather information to an increased number of people, the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has embraced the use of localised weather forecasts.

Amid limited access to weather information by rural masses in the country, the Department, in collaboration with Total Land Care [TLC], has scaled out the provision of weather-related information to Nkhotakota District.

Such initiatives have already been launched in Nsanje, Balaka, and Mulanje districts, where farmers access weather-related information through community radio stations and other media platforms.

Speaking after launching the initiative in Nkhotakota District, Director of Climate Change and Meteorological Services, Jolamu Nkhokwe, said the initiative would target audiences with climate information and help them make proper plans.

He described Nkhotakota as one of the country’s 15 disaster prone districts, observing that weather reports would facilitate the relocation of people in cases of impending natural disasters.

“The rationale for introducing localised weather forecast is to make sure that we touch on the weather needs of people at village level. While we produce weather reports at national or regional level, we observed that we have a gap at community level, hence the initiative,” Nkhokwe said.

He added that the initiative would strive to ensure specificity in weather reports prepared by the department, as opposed to the present scenario where weather information is generic.

TLC Agri-Business Officer, Sungeni Ng’onamo, said the weather forecasts would help farmers build resilience to climate change as they would be able to plan thoroughly in their farming activities.

Meanwhile, the weather forecasts are currently being aired on Nkhotakota Community Radio Station.

Nkhotakota District Council Director of Planning and Development, Michael Chimbalanga, said weather-related information would help farmers adjust to climatic dynamics, thereby sustaining crop productivity.

Chimbalanga said the forecast would help the council plan its activities in line with weather patterns, hence facilitating smooth operations of development activities in the district.