Govt warns of more disastrous rain, storms
Motorists and city dwellers wade through a flooded section of the Clock Tower road in Kampala City last week. PHOTO/ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- People living in landslide-prone areas are advised to lookout for cracks in the ground and take measures to safeguard their lives.
The government has put the country on alert and warned people in southwestern Uganda and Lake Victoria basin to be on the lookout because of the projected higher intensity of rainfall and lightning, which could be disastrous.
This comes a day after the State Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Ms Esther Anyakun, said ongoing floods in the country have displaced more than one million Ugandans and destroyed or submerged schools, roads and bridges worth more than Shs200 billion.
Now Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) in its October 19 disaster alert notice, said the possibility that a higher intensity of rainfall will be experienced is at 35 to 70 percent.
“The rains are expected to intensify to 20mm in 24 hours…areas of concern [include] Kabale, Kisoro, Kasese, Masindi and mostly the western part of Lake Victoria,” the notice reads in part.
Twenty millimetres of rainfall in a day is about five times higher than the 4 millimetre per day of rainfall which is considered normal.
This means the amount of rain that would fall in five days will be experienced in a single day. UNMA said this will happen between Tuesday and Thursday this week.
“People living in landslide-prone areas, especially in Kabale, Kisoro, Kasese and other hilly areas should be on the lookout for cracks in the ground and take the necessary measures to safeguard their lives and property,” the notice reads further.
“Residents are advised to avoid driving through, or walking in moving water or open fields. They should not shelter under trees or near grilled windows to minimise exposure to lightning strikes,” it adds.
The agency also warned fishermen and the entire maritime industry to be on high alert and listen to local media for updates in case conditions become worse.
Ms Anyakun said since April 2020, the torrential rains have caused a lot of havoc in the county.
“Currently, the heavy rains received is characterised by windstorms, hailstorms and lightning strikes that have destroyed crops in the countryside, claimed lives and led to rise in water levels in all rivers and lakes,” she said.
Ms Anyakun added that the government has since developed a relief distribution plan for the affected districts and with support from the World Food Programme, eight trucks were provided to compliment the ongoing distribution of food and non-food items.
