The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) has cautioned Ghanaians to be wary of more torrential rains with ravaging lightning storm in the coming months.
According to the Agency, due to the impact of heavy downpour and sparks of thunderstorms on Thursday, May 18, 2023, and over the weekend in parts of the capital, Accra, there is the need for all to stay safe in days ahead.
The Director of Forecasting for GMA, Joseph Portuphy, advised Ghanaians to avoid taking shelter in places which could pose some risk to their lives.
“Yeah, there are more thunderstorm rains to come, and we have not reached June yet. When we checked the lightning data, June is the peak of lightning. When we get to July or August we will not be getting lightning. Along the coast, and the middle belt, yes, we will still be getting lots of lightning and thundering activities. It’s not yet over at all.”
Joseph Portuphy
Mr. Portuphy expressed the need for land developers to undertake necessary precautions to avoid losing properties in their buildings when thunder and lightning strike. Also, he entreated the general public that it is not advisable to stand under tall trees.
“… When it’s raining because when thunder strikes, it passes through the trees and when you are under the trees wearing slippers, the charged particles will pass through and kill you instantly. It is also dangerous to walk under trees during rains. The building code requires that when putting up tall buildings, you need to install charge arresters to prevent lightning from striking through the buildings.
“Avoid anything that can expose you, you shouldn’t be carrying metals when it’s raining. Because the metal is a very good conductor of those charged particles. When the thunder strikes, and it falls on it, it can kill you. We should avoid all those things, and we will be fine.”
Joseph Portuphy
Adverse impact of downpour in Ghana
Meanwhile, a woman at Koforidua Ada Magazine in the New Juaben South Municipality of the Eastern Region has lost her child and has no shelter following the weekend’s rainstorm.
A second child has been hospitalized after he sustained an injury on the leg. The deceased child, 5, and his brother, 7, were together in the same apartment before the incident.
While their mother was preparing meals in the kitchen, portions of their Chamber and Hall self-contained apartment collapsed during the rainstorm.
The Assemblyman for the Ada Magazine Electoral Area, Okyere Richard, confirmed the incident as he led the family to officially report to the police. The body of the deceased is at the Eastern Regional Hospital Morgue for preservation and autopsy.
Weather patterns have changed over the past days in the Eastern Region capital with high volumes of rainfalls. Some schools roofs have been ripped off, forcing management to merge classes.
It will be recalled that during the May 18 rains, movement of motorists was heavily impeded at the Kpone Barrier portion of the main Tema-Aflao N1 road due to flood waters following an early morning downpour.
Some motorists and their passengers complained of staying in gridlocks between two and five hours before making their way out of the situation. The floods blocked the road in front of the Bel-Acqua Bottling Company where commuters virtually sailed through running waters.
The main Accra –Tema Motorway was equally impacted as the rains forced a heavy gridlock that ensured vehicles moved at a snail’s pace. A number of vehicles with very low clearance had to park for the floods to subside, while some others who braved through had their vehicles break down.
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