By Prossy Nandudu
Weather experts from the Uganda National Meteorology Authority (UNMA) maintain that the current off-season rains will continue till seasonal rains start in March.
Although not being experienced in most parts of the country, the rains will mainly be experienced in districts around Lake Victoria Basin and those found in South Western Uganda.
According to the climate outlook report released on Tuesday, February 6, by the Uganda National Meteorology Authority (UNMA), the rains will be accompanied by a dry spell in most parts of the country.
The dry spells, according to the UNMA acting executive director, Dr Alex Ogwang, will lead to reduced water volumes in some water bodies, affecting pasture production for livestock.
He adds that in some incidents, there will be an increase in conflicts between humans and wildlife over some shared water sources among others.
In terms of health, Ogwang said that due to sunny and hazy conditions that will be experienced throughout this month, there will be an increase in cases of malaria because the sunny and haze conditions favour the reproduction of mosquitoes among others.
To reduce the increase in the spread of animal diseases while searching for water and pasture, Ogwang advised farmers to go practice rotational zero grazing among others.
For those in a hurry to plant food crops, he advised them to instead use the current rains to prepare their gardens so as to be in time for the planting season, in March when actual seasonal and planting rains set in.
Other activities that should be embraced during this period include bricklaying, water harvesting, and monitoring of emerging crop pests and diseases among others.
He added that the current rains are a spillover of the September November December rains, as a result of the effects of El Nino activities over the Pacific Ocean.
