General News of Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Source: The Globe Newspaper

Killer winds coming end of May - GMA

The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) has served notice that coastal areas in the country are likely to experience another strong wind similar to what was experienced last Saturday.

A Senior Meteorologist, Mula Tsatsu Siame, told The Globe newspaper the unusual storm will be visiting Ghana by the end of this month.

Torrential winds blew along the coastal areas of the country last Saturday afternoon wreaking havoc in some parts of the country. Most parts of Accra and Cape Coast in particular were without power for hours over the weekend, but the Electricity Company of Ghana worked around the clock to restore power supply on Sunday and early Monday.

Giant billboards collapsed. Roofs were ripped apart. Electricity cables were brought down and were lying bare on major roads putting both motorists and pedestrians at risk. There have been reports of some deaths in some parts of the country.

The strong winds, according to the Ghana Meteorological Agency, originated from South Sudan through to Central Africa Republic, Nigeria, Benin, Togo and then swept across the coastal areas of Ghana.

The GMA said the winds were travelling at 50 knots.

“From now to the end of this month any rain that comes has the probability of being accompanied by strong wings,” Mr. Siame told The Globe. He said the month of June will bring a cooler atmosphere with more clouds.

The GMA has also warned the general public to check their roofing and buildings to ensure they are strong enough to stand the rains and its accompanying strong winds.

The public have also been advised to keep constant eye on trees within their compounds to ensure that their roots are firm enough to stand the storm. **