The current rainfall situation – March 2010

Assessment of rainfall received over the last month and 3-month period

The main feature of the rainfall for March 2010 is a mixed distribution of below- and above-normal rainfall conditions over the country. Noteworthy regions that received normal to above-normal rainfall are some areas in the central interior of South Africa, as well as the eastern Free State, western and central Mpumalanga and southern Limpopo. Normal to below-normal rainfall conditions were experienced in the south of KwaZulu-Natal, most of the Eastern Cape, North-West province, northern Limpopo and the far western interior.

Looking back over the 3-month period from January to March 2010, most of the country received normal to above-normal rainfall. Exceptions, i.e. regions which received normal to below-normal rainfall, include most of the coastal regions and adjacent interiors, Limpopo, and eastern North-West province

Indications of Drought

During the past month some isolated regions, located in the south-east, north-west and far north, experienced moderate to extremely dry conditions.

Over the three month period from January to March 2010 a large part of the coastal regions, as well as the northern interior, were somewhat dry. However, moderate to extremely dry conditions were experienced along the south-eastern and eastern coasts, the north-western interior and parts the West and South Coasts. The map for the six month period from October 2009 to March 2010 reveals a similar drought pattern, but more pronounced on the South Coast, and less so along the KwaZulu-Natal coast.

The 12- and 24-month SPI maps give an indication of areas where prolonged droughts exist, because of below-normal rainfall recorded over a period of one year or longer. The most noteworthy are the very dry areas is the southern and south-eastern coastal areas, which are mostly severely to extremely dry. Other areas that are moderate to severely dry are parts of Limpopo and the eastern Free State.