This year’s major rainy season would be characterized by thunderstorm and strong winds, the Ghana Meteorological Agency has said.

In the seasonal rainfall forecast 2012 made available to the GNA in Sunyani, the Agency explained that generally, the southern sector of the country would, however, experience below average rainfall during the major rainy season between April and June.

“Unlike 2011, when the rainfall during the major rainy season was evenly distributed, rainfall for 2012 will be erratic”, it said, adding “onset dates are expected to delay by about two or three weeks”.

The Agency clarified that northern Ghana “has a 70 per cent (last year was 80 per cent) chance of receiving normal to above normal rainfall during the rainy season, expected to start from April 16 to 23.

In a break down, the Agency presented the rainfall patterns for the various sectors of the country as follows, northern 650-1100mm, with the onset date at April 16 to 23, transition 800 – 900mm, Eastern Coastal 500 – 800mm with an onset date from April 10 to 15 and Forest/Western Coastal with the onset date from April 6 to 11and rainfall amount at 850 - 1100mm.

The Agency added forecast for the minor rainy season for southern Ghana and update for the northern sector would be issued in May.**