The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a La Niña state, however, forecasts indicate that it will likely return to a neutral state during the coming seasons. During autumn and winter the presence of ENSO has less of an impact. Thus, the presence of the current La Niña event is not expected to have any significant impact on rainfall in the coming seasons.
The multi-modal rainfall forecast indicates below-normal rainfall for most parts of the country except for the central and eastern coastal areas in early winter (May, June, July) and the eastern coastal areas during mid-and late-winter (June, July, August and July, August, September). Both maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be above normal for most of the country, except for parts of the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape where below-normal temperatures are expected.
SAWS will continue to monitor the weather and climatic conditions and provide updates on any future assessments that may provide more clarity on the current expectations for the coming season.
