Regional bloc warns of higher temperatures in Horn of Africa

NAIROBI - At least seven countries in the Horn of Africa region are expected to record higher-than-normal temperatures between June and August, according to the Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC) of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc.

In an alert issued on Monday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, ICPAC said these countries are Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. Some of the countries will record temperatures of over 32 degrees Celsius during the period, including Ethiopia and Somalia.

"The seasonal temperatures are expected to be warmer than usual over northern, western, and eastern parts of the region," it said.

According to ICPAC, higher temperatures will be recorded despite the region expecting above-normal rainfall in most countries during the period.

However, the weather agency said some parts of the region, particularly western Ethiopia, western and north-eastern South Sudan, and central southern Sudan, will be drier than usual during the period as climate variability continues to affect East and Central Africa.

The rapid weather changes have left more than 60 million people food secure in the region, added ICPAC.