River levels rising

THE Zambezi and Kwando rivers in north-eastern Namibia have continued to rise steadily over the past few days, with the level of the Zambezi reaching 2,25 metres by yesterday, rising from 2,12 m measured on Saturday.

On Friday, the level was only 2,01 m. The Cuando River, which enters Namibia from southern Angola at Kongola, 200 kilometres west of Katima Mulilo, had a level of 2,85 metres yesterday, the same as on Saturday.On Friday, the level of the Cuando was at 2,84 m.The Okavango River retained its level of 4,12 m both on Saturday and Sunday, down from 4,14 m on Friday.”It is too early to make predictions about the maximum levels to be expected in March and April for the Caprivi Region,” hydrologist Guido van Langenhove said yesterday.However, “the implication is that the inundation of the floodplains in the eastern parts of the Caprivi might arrive much earlier than normal,” he added.”The levels in the Kunene, Okavango and Cuando rivers have also been unusually high since the end of December,” Van Langenhove noted.”Very good rainy conditions have continued in the catchments of the Okavango and Cuando rivers in the south-eastern parts of Angola,” he said.The Kunene River was 3,32 m high on Thursday afternoon, the latest measurement that could be obtained from NamPower at Ruacana.Meanwhile the Fish River in southern Namibia experienced a small flood over the weekend.The flood peaked at 0,77 metres on Saturday night at Seeheim, some 45 kilometres west of Keetmanshoop.By yesterday morning the water level was down to 0,57 m, according to Van Langenhove.”This is still a small flood, not likely to get to the Orange confluence at the border to South Africa,” Van Langenhove said in his latest flood bulletin yesterday.The Cuando River, which enters Namibia from southern Angola at Kongola, 200 kilometres west of Katima Mulilo, had a level of 2,85 metres yesterday, the same as on Saturday.On Friday, the level of the Cuando was at 2,84 m.The Okavango River retained its level of 4,12 m both on Saturday and Sunday, down from 4,14 m on Friday.”It is too early to make predictions about the maximum levels to be expected in March and April for the Caprivi Region,” hydrologist Guido van Langenhove said yesterday.However, “the implication is that the inundation of the floodplains in the eastern parts of the Caprivi might arrive much earlier than normal,” he added.”The levels in the Kunene, Okavango and Cuando rivers have also been unusually high since the end of December,” Van Langenhove noted.”Very good rainy conditions have continued in the catchments of the Okavango and Cuando rivers in the south-eastern parts of Angola,” he said.The Kunene River was 3,32 m high on Thursday afternoon, the latest measurement that could be obtained from NamPower at Ruacana.Meanwhile the Fish River in southern Namibia experienced a small flood over the weekend.The flood peaked at 0,77 metres on Saturday night at Seeheim, some 45 kilometres west of Keetmanshoop.By yesterday morning the water level was down to 0,57 m, according to Van Langenhove.”This is still a small flood, not likely to get to the Orange confluence at the border to South Africa,” Van Langenhove said in his latest flood bulletin yesterday.