The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has cautioned the public over the current weather conditions in the country, particularly Accra.
It stated that the current weather condition is as a result of dust lifted from around Chad, Sudan and Niger on February 15, 2023, detected on meteorological satellites on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.
The Agency indicated that the dust was transported into the country by strong winds at lower levels of the atmosphere.
In a statement signed by its Acting Director General, Eric Asuman, the Agency revealed that on 24th November 2022, it issued the first Harmattan Season Advisory for Ghana, which among other things, forecasted dry weather conditions, cloudless skies, hot days and the dominance of minute dust particles suspension in the atmosphere.
It explained that visibility values were also forecasted to be between 1km and approximately 5km due to the advection of particles from the dust Region. Per this advisory issued on 24th November 2022, the Agency, indicated that consequent update issued on 27th January, 2023, showed most parts of the country are still experiencing the harmattan.
“Typically, the harmattan season persists until late February or early March in most parts of the country, with variations in the intensity of the dry and dusty conditions within the season. However, on Monday, February 13, 2023, the Agency observed high-pressure systems around the northern regions of Africa, which were projected to stir up dust over the dust source region.”
Ghana Meterological Agency
As a result of the weather changes, GMet stated that an intensification of dry and dusty weather conditions was expected to be experienced in Ghana during the week as issued in its weekly and daily forecasts.
Furtherance to the above, it highlighted that this has resulted in dryness and decreased visibility, which may take some time to clear completely.
“Relative humidity, over the period, has ranged between 15% and 50% with visibility range of 200 meters to 5,000 meters. These conditions are expected to persist at varying intensities over the next few days. However, it is expected that there will be a relaxation in the intensity during the week and consequently.”
Ghana Meteorological Agency
Additionally, the Ghana Meteorological Agency has forecasted widespread dust haze and dryness across the country on Monday.
Accra’s air declared harzardous
Due to these weather conditions, the Agency advised that the general public take necessary precaution such as keeping hydrated and follow fire safety precautions. Additionally, it urged the public to cover foods and water to prevent dust from settling on them, wash fruits thoroughly before taking them and entreated people allergic to dust are to wear nose masks to reduce the effect on them.
Meanwhile, IQAir’s AirVisual, a real-time air quality information platform, has diclosed that Ghana’s air quality is currently 49.6 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value. This, the site attributes to the high concentration of PM2.5 in Accra’s atmosphere, which refers to particles found in the air, including dust, soot, dirt, smoke and liquid droplets with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less.
It is believed that the high concentration of PM2.5 in the air has been compounded by the resurgence of the Harmattan as a result of regional dust storms pushing into Southern Ghana.
Due to the highly damaging effects of pollution exposure on vulnerable members of society, including young children and the elderly, pregnant women, those with heightened sensitivity towards pollution, as well as those with pre-existing illnesses or compromised immune system, the population is advised to wear a mask outdoors, run an air purifier, close windows to avoid dirty outdoor air and avoid outdoor exercise.
