Dry weather continued in most of the North and the central regions

In the North, the performance of the Gu rains from April 21 to 30 has been mixed, but many areas have had very little rain (Figure 1). In particular, rainfall has been low or nonexistent and unreliable in pastoral areas in Bari, Nugaal, northern Mudug, Sanaag, Sool, and most of Togdheer Regions in the North. Water shortages were reported, and both human and livestock water consumption currently depend on buying trucked water. However, substantial precipitation did fall in Northwest Agropastoral livelihood zone in Togwajale, Borama, and Baki Districts, in the Hawd and Golis Pastoral livelihood zone in Hargeisa, Borama, and Baki Districts, and some parts of Golis Pastoral livelihood zone in Burao and Sheikh Districts in Togdheer Region. These rains have started land preparation and planting in some areas, and they have improved water and rangeland conditions. This has attracted in-migration of pastoralists and livestock from the neighboring, dry areas.

In the central regions, the Hawd, Addun, and Coastal Deeh Pastoral livelihood zones as well as most of the cowpea belt in Galgaduud and southern Mudug remained dry. The persistent dry weather caused the germinated cowpeas to wilt. The pasture has been scorched in places, and berkads and shallow wells are completely dry. Water trucking is atypically continuing, resulting in a large, unexpected increase of households’ water expenses. However, pockets of the cowpea belt in Eldher District received moderate rains, which slightly eased issues of water availability and supported both cowpea seed germination and pasture growth.

In most of the southern regions in the Jubas, Bay, Bakool, and some parts of Hiraan and Gedo Regions, moderate to light rains with near average distribution were reported in both pastoral and agropastoral areas. However, most areas of Lower and Middle Shabelle, some parts of Gedo and Hiraan, and Coastal Deeh livelihood zone in the South and areas further inland experienced another 10 days of dry weather. The rain gauges in Baidoa and Dinsoor in Bay, Xudur in Bakool, and Bulo Burti in Hiraan recorded 34 millimeters (mm), 39 mm, 51 mm, and 57 mm of rainfall, respectively. In rainfed pastoral and agropastoral areas with recent rains, they have supported crop development, enhanced pasture conditions, and mostly replenished communal dams and water catchments.

As result of continued dry weather in the last ten days (dekad) of April, the satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) depicted significantly below average vegetation conditions compared to the 2001 to 2010 mean in most of the Northeast, eastern part of the Northwest, and the central regions as well as areas that have had below average rainfall in Hiraan, the Shabelles, and coastal areas of the Jubas. Below average vegetation is also found in agropastoral areas of Bay, Bakool, and southern part of Hiraan due to delayed planting. In contrast, vegetation conditions have improved in most of the South, western part of the Northwest, and parts of the cowpea belt in Galgaduud Region in central Somalia (Figure 3). The seven-day weather forecast for May 7 to 14 indicates that most of country is likely to experience moderate to heavy rains of between 25 and 80 mm (Figure 4). Coastal areas of the North and pockets alongside the border with Kenya will likely receive less than 20 mm of rain.

For more rain gauge data, please, contact So-Hydro@fao.org or visit www.faoswalim.org.