Water, water everywhere

FROM the far north to the deep south of Namibia, rains drenched most of the country over the past weekend.

With parts of northern Namibia already under floodwaters, a further major downpour measuring 80,4 millimetres was recorded at Outapi in the Omusati Region on Friday morning, according to rainfall figures released by the Meteorological Service of Namibia yesterday. At Katima Mulilo, which experienced an exceptionally wet start to the year during January, a further 36 mm of rain was measured from Thursday to yesterday morning, while at Rundu, which also received above-average rainfall in January, an additional 37,8 mm was recorded from Thursday to yesterday.Since continuous rains started falling over Windhoek late on Thursday, some parts of the city have received twice as much rainfall in the course of three days as had been measured in the whole of January, which was substantially drier than normal for the capital.At Suiderhof, a total of 90 mm was recorded from Friday morning to Sunday morning, while at the Met Office in the centre of the city, 57,8 mm was recorded over the same period.At Hosea Kutako International Airport east of Windhoek, 87 mm of rain was recorded from Thursday to yesterday morning.At Omaruru, where the Omaruru River came down in flood over the weekend, more than 100 mm had been recorded since Thursday, it was reported from the town yesterday.North of Omaruru, a total of 54,4 mm was measured at Outjo from Thursday to Sunday morning.Keetmanshoop was also drenched over the weekend.A total of 83,2 mm of rain was measured at the town from Thursday to yesterday morning, with 59 mm of rain received from Saturday until Sunday morning.Also in the south, 29,4 mm of rain was recorded at Karasburg on Saturday morning.LATE SEASON, BUT WET According to further rainfall figures released by the Meteorological Service of Namibia late last week, most places in the north of Namibia, with the northwestern areas of the country the exception, and parts of southern Namibia have been experiencing above-average quantities of rain in the current rainy season.At Katima Mulilo, a total of 753,6 mm of rain has been measured from the start of the rainy season at the beginning of October to the end of January.The normal average amount of rain received at Katima Mulilo over those four months is 407,8 mm.At Rundu, 561,5 mm was recorded in the same period, compared to the normal average total of 307,4 mm.Ondangwa only received a slightly above-normal total of 237 mm of rain from October to the end of January.On average, a total of 222 mm of rain is recorded at the town in this period.With the current rainy season having started very late in the northern areas of Namibia, according to the Meteorological Service, the rainfall figures for most places in the North over January are well above the average figures for that month.A total of 434 mm was recorded at Katima Mulilo over January, compared to the town’s historical average of 162,7 mm for the month.At Rundu, 365,7 mm was recorded over January.On average, Rundu receives 152 mm of rain during January.Ondangwa receives a total of 118,4 mm of rain on average over January.This year, 195,5 mm was measured at the town during January.At Tsumkwe, 230,6 mm of rain was recorded during January.On average, a total of 112 mm is measured at Tsumkwe during January.Since October, 288,7 mm has been recorded at Tsumkwe, compared to the normal average of 256 mm for this period.Grootfontein has also been wetter than usual.Over January, a total of 293 mm was measured at the town (normal average in January: 153,7 mm), while 388 mm has been recorded there from October to the end of January (normal average total 286,6 mm).In the Kunene Region, Khorixas also had a wetter than usual January, with a total of 70 mm of rain recorded over a month when that town normally receives 51,7 mm.The total quantity of rain received at Khorixas from October to the end of January has however been below average this year – 77,3 mm, compared to the normal 84,4 mm.Windhoek’s rainfall figures have so far been well below normal.From October to the end of January, a total of 102,8 mm was measured at the Met Office, compared to the normal total of 158,7 mm.During January, 41,2 mm was recorded at the Met Office, where the normal average rainfall total for January is 85,6 mm.This is a far cry from January 2006, during Windhoek’s wettest rainy season in 52 years, when a total of 313,4 mm was measured at the Met Office.Rehoboth, which finally received the first substantial rains of the season last week, has been exceptionally dry so far this rainy season.From October to the end of January, only 8 mm of rain was measured at Rehoboth.Normally, the town should receive some 90,4 mm over this period.Some places in the south, though, have experienced a wetter than usual rainy season so far.At Gibeon, a total of 166,2 mm has been recorded during the first four months of the season – compared to a normal average of 54 mm over this period.At Gochas, which on average receives some 71 mm of rain from October to the end of January, 227,5 mm has been measured in that time this season.Keetmanshoop receives some 52,3 mm of rain on average from October to the end of January.This year, 95,8 mm was measured at the town in this period.On average, Karasburg records 43,8 mm over the same period.This rainy season, 61,2 mm was recorded at the town.At Warmbad south of Karasburg, a total of 84,2 mm was measured from October to the end of January.In a normal average year, Warmbad receives only 20,2 mm over the same period.At Katima Mulilo, which experienced an exceptionally wet start to the year during January, a further 36 mm of rain was measured from Thursday to yesterday morning, while at Rundu, which also received above-average rainfall in January, an additional 37,8 mm was recorded from Thursday to yesterday. Since continuous rains started falling over Windhoek late on Thursday, some parts of the city have received twice as much rainfall in the course of three days as had been measured in the whole of January, which was substantially drier than normal for the capital.At Suiderhof, a total of 90 mm was recorded from Friday morning to Sunday morning, while at the Met Office in the centre of the city, 57,8 mm was recorded over the same period.At Hosea Kutako International Airport east of Windhoek, 87 mm of rain was recorded from Thursday to yesterday morning.At Omaruru, where the Omaruru River came down in flood over the weekend, more than 100 mm had been recorded since Thursday, it was reported from the town yesterday.North of Omaruru, a total of 54,4 mm was measured at Outjo from Thursday to Sunday morning.Keetmanshoop was also drenched over the weekend.A total of 83,2 mm of rain was measured at the town from Thursday to yesterday morning, with 59 mm of rain received from Saturday until Sunday morning.Also in the south, 29,4 mm of rain was recorded at Karasburg on Saturday morning.LATE SEASON, BUT WET According to further rainfall figures released by the Meteorological Service of Namibia late last week, most places in the north of Namibia, with the northwestern areas of the country the exception, and parts of southern Namibia have been experiencing above-average quantities of rain in the current rainy season.At Katima Mulilo, a total of 753,6 mm of rain has been measured from the start of the rainy season at the beginning of October to the end of January.The normal average amount of rain received at Katima Mulilo over those four months is 407,8 mm.At Rundu, 561,5 mm was recorded in the same period, compared to the normal average total of 307,4 mm.Ondangwa only received a slightly above-normal total of 237 mm of rain from October to the end of January.On average, a total of 222 mm of rain is recorded at the town in this period.With the current rainy season having started very late in the northern areas of Namibia, according to the Meteorological Service, the rainfall figures for most places in the North over January are well above the average figures for that month.A total of 434 mm was recorded at Katima Mulilo over January
, compared to the town’s historical average of 162,7 mm for the month.At Rundu, 365,7 mm was recorded over January.On average, Rundu receives 152 mm of rain during January.Ondangwa receives a total of 118,4 mm of rain on average over January.This year, 195,5 mm was measured at the town during January.At Tsumkwe, 230,6 mm of rain was recorded during January.On average, a total of 112 mm is measured at Tsumkwe during January.Since October, 288,7 mm has been recorded at Tsumkwe, compared to the normal average of 256 mm for this period.Grootfontein has also been wetter than usual.Over January, a total of 293 mm was measured at the town (normal average in January: 153,7 mm), while 388 mm has been recorded there from October to the end of January (normal average total 286,6 mm).In the Kunene Region, Khorixas also had a wetter than usual January, with a total of 70 mm of rain recorded over a month when that town normally receives 51,7 mm.The total quantity of rain received at Khorixas from October to the end of January has however been below average this year – 77,3 mm, compared to the normal 84,4 mm.Windhoek’s rainfall figures have so far been well below normal.From October to the end of January, a total of 102,8 mm was measured at the Met Office, compared to the normal total of 158,7 mm.During January, 41,2 mm was recorded at the Met Office, where the normal average rainfall total for January is 85,6 mm.This is a far cry from January 2006, during Windhoek’s wettest rainy season in 52 years, when a total of 313,4 mm was measured at the Met Office. Rehoboth, which finally received the first substantial rains of the season last week, has been exceptionally dry so far this rainy season.From October to the end of January, only 8 mm of rain was measured at Rehoboth.Normally, the town should receive some 90,4 mm over this period.Some places in the south, though, have experienced a wetter than usual rainy season so far.At Gibeon, a total of 166,2 mm has been recorded during the first four months of the season – compared to a normal average of 54 mm over this period.At Gochas, which on average receives some 71 mm of rain from October to the end of January, 227,5 mm has been measured in that time this season.Keetmanshoop receives some 52,3 mm of rain on average from October to the end of January.This year, 95,8 mm was measured at the town in this period.On average, Karasburg records 43,8 mm over the same period.This rainy season, 61,2 mm was recorded at the town.At Warmbad south of Karasburg, a total of 84,2 mm was measured from October to the end of January.In a normal average year, Warmbad receives only 20,2 mm over the same period.