General News of Sunday, 11 October 2020

Source: GNA

Check the weather forecast daily - GMet urges public

Senior meteorologist urged people living in flood prone areas to for the time being, relocate Senior meteorologist urged people living in flood prone areas to for the time being, relocate

The public has been advised to check the daily and weekly weather forecast from the Ghana Meteorological Agency(GMet) website, as the rainy season peaks.

This would enable them to plan their activities safely and conveniently, without unwanted interferences from sudden downpours.

Felicity Ahafianyo, Acting GMet Officer in charge of forecasting and analysis, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, following Saturday's down pouring, which left several parts of Accra, especially areas within Kasoa and Weija, heavily flooded.

She said with the Southern part of the country in its second rainy season, rainfall could be expected at any time, hence, the need to be abreast with the weather forecast at all times,

Madam Ahafianyo observed that one of the major reasons for flooding during the rainy season was poor drainage systems, adding that there was the need to involve all relevant organisations and agencies in the country, towards overhauling the entire drainage system in the country.

She said this would immensely reduce flooding during rains.

The senior meteorologist urged people living in flood prone areas to for the time being, relocate or move out valuables, which could be destroyed by floods.

Madam Ahafianyo also appealed to people who had houses and other types of structures in waterways to re-locate these structures.

"You could even raise them up with supportive structures such as pillars, so they do not sit in the waterway and cause avoidable flooding," she said.

This year's rainy season is expected to be normal to slightly below normal and is expected to end within November, the GMet has said.

Last Saturday's downpour which started in the early morning and lasted for about four hours in some parts of Southern Ghana, resulted in heavy flooding in several areas including Kasoa, Weija, and Adenta.

The floods made it impossible for a number of people to either leave or enter their premises.