The near-term forecast indicates continued improvement in water conditions in southern Africa as exceptional deficits nearly disappear. Intense deficits are, however, expected in Lesotho. Deficits are forecast across northern Africa including pockets of exceptional deficit in western Mauritania through Guinea-Bissau, scattered around the Gulf of Guinea, small pockets across the southern Sahara, and in southeastern Ethiopia. Surpluses are expected in southern Sudan, South Sudan, western Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, western DRC, and western CAR into Cameroon. After February intense deficits will emerge in the north.
Africa: Water deficits in South Africa to moderate; surpluses forecast in Tanzania
Exceptional water deficits are forecast to diminish considerably November through January, but will continue to emerge in coastal Mauritania, western Niger, southeastern Nigeria, and southern Cameroon. Deficits in South Africa are expected to moderate but severe deficits are forecast along the Orange River and from Lesotho through Swaziland. Notable surpluses are expected in southern Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. After January, moderate to severe deficits are forecast across North Africa, mild deficits in the south, and surpluses in Tanzania.
Africa: Water deficits forecast for Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso
Exceptional water deficits are expected to diminish considerably, leaving severe conditions across the north but relatively moderate conditions in the south. Some intense deficits are forecast for western Mauritania, southwestern Burkina Faso, the Chinko Nature Reserve in Central African Republic, southwestern Namibia, and Cape Town, South Africa. Surpluses are forecast for southeastern Sudan, northeastern South Sudan, the Niger Delta, Gabon, north-central Uganda, eastern Tanzania, Okavango Delta in Botswana, and the central border between Botswana and South Africa.
Africa: Exceptional water deficits to diminish considerably
Overall the extent of exceptional water deficits is expected to diminish considerably September through November leaving moderate deficits in the south and extreme to exceptional deficits across the southern Sahara. Exceptional surpluses are expected to persist in southeastern Tanzania, and while those areas of surplus will moderate slightly after November, surpluses will emerge throughout the country and may be particularly intense in Dodoma Region. Except for surpluses in East Africa, primarily moderate deficits are forecast for most of the continent from November through spring next year.
Global Precipitation & Temperature Outlook for September 2017
The September Outlook indicates much warmer than normal temperatures - conditions we'd expect to see once in 20 to 40 years - in many regions of the world including India's southern half, coastal West Africa, and the eastern Amazon Basin. Much drier than normal conditions are forecast for central India.