About African Monsoon

The main two components of the African Monsoons are the West African Monsoon, which prevails during the Northern Hemisphere Summer (June through September), and the East African Monsoon with rains during spring (MAM) and autumn (OND). The precipitation and atmospheric circulation patterns are shown in the adjacent figure. Combined influence of the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans drive the inter-annual and the decadal monsoon variability over these regions.

The key features of the West African Monsoon are the low level southwesterly flow from the Atlantic Ocean and the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) north of the equator. Monsoon rainfall over West Africa occurs during the June through September period (Figure left panel). The West African Sahel is well known for the severe droughts that ravaged this region during the 1970s and 1980s. The vagaries of the rainfall in Sub-Saharan Africa have a profound and often dire consequence on African society and economy.

The East African Monsoon is associated with the ITCZ moving south of the equator. The so-called long rains prevail during spring (MAM) and the short rains during autumn (OND). Thus the transition (equinox) seasons bring most rainfall to East Africa (Figure right panel). Abrupt decline in the long rains have resulted in droughts over this region.

To reduce the vulnerability of the African community to the variations in the strengths of the two monsoons, scientific community needs to improve the reliability of forecasts to unable forward planning. Understanding the monsoon systems and their predictability over Africa has highly improved through AMMA (African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis), the main international program on climate and environment in Africa. AMMA is planned to continue research for a further decade focused on the integration of weather and climate science with decision making for the African society.

 

 

African Monsoon Members

 

Name

Role

Institute

Country

Paul-Arthur Monerie 

Co-Chair

University of Reading 

UK

Masilin Gudoshava

Co-Chair

ICPAC

Kenya

Akintomide Akinsanola

Member

University of Illinois Chicago 

USA

Rondrotiana Barimalala

Member

NORCE, Bergen

Norway

Ismaila Diallo

Member

San Jose State University

USA

Ross Dixon

Member

University of Nebraska Lincoln

USA

Neil Hart

Member

University of Oxford 

UK

Shingirai Nangombe

Member

DMI

Denmark

Mojisola Adeniyi

Member

University of Ibadan

Nigeria

Caroline Wainwright

Member

University of Leeds 

UK

Kenedy Silveiro

Member

Higher Polytechnic Institute of Songo 

Brazil

Rachel James 

Member

University of Bristol 

UK

Aissatou Faye

Member

LPAO-SF 

USA

Samson Hagos 

Member

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 

USA

Kamoru Abidion Lawal

Member

ACMAD

Niger

Charles Bwalya Chisanga 

Member

The Copperbelt University

Zambia

Paul Limbu

Member

University of Dar Es Salaam

Tanzania

Laban Kebacho 

Member

University of Dar Es Salaam

Tanzania

Dike Victor Nnamdi 

Member

Chinese Academy of Sciences

China

Komkoua Mbienda

Member

University of Dschang

Cameroon

Ademe Mekonnen

Member

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

USA

Birhan Getachew Tikuye

Member

Prairie View A&M University 

USA

Dahirou Wane

Member

LPAO-SF 

Senegal

Koffi Worou 

Member

Uppsala University 

Sweden

Thierry Taguela 

Member

University of Illinois 

USA

For more information on members, see https://impo.tropmet.res.in/mpwg-afm-members.html.