Ghana Meteorological Agency advises fishermen (pg 20)
THE Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) has advised fishermen and travellers on the Volta Lake to be on high alert as the season of thunderstorms begins late February in order to avoid the perennial boat disasters on the lake.
Thunderstorms have been the major cause of boat disasters on the Volta Lake, claiming the lives of hundreds of travellers over the years, but the GMA is taking proactive steps this year to give timely weather reports to users of the lake in order to avoid such disasters.
The GMA is to collaborate with local radio stations in the catchment area of the lake to disseminate information on thunderstorms to the people.
It, therefore, advised the communities to listen to radio stations for such information and act accordingly to minimise disasters on the lake.
Normally the thunderstorms travel from East to West and given the period of their monitoring, the GMA is able to give information on the storms three or four hours ahead.
The Volta Lake Basin, which spans five regions in the country, provides a major means of transportation, fishing and other economic activities for communities along the lake.
The thunderstorms normally sweep across the Volta Lake Basin and other parts of the country from the beginning of the rainy season in late February to November, leaving in their trail destruction of lives, plantations and property, both on water and land.
A recent study conducted by the GMA indicated that between 155 and 175 storms were recorded in the Volta Lake Basin last year.
According to the study, although the thunderstorms were responsible for about 84 per cent of annual rainfall, they were also responsible for majority of boat disasters on the Volta Lake.
A Principal Meteorologist, Mr Charles Yorke, told the Daily Graphic that although over-loading of boats and tree stumps in the lake contributed to the boat disasters, the meteorological phenomenon was the major cause of the disasters.
He said during thunderstorms, the water became rough, thereby, making sailing difficult and causing some boats to capsize in the process.
He said in other instances, the thunderstorms diverted the course of the boats and caused them to run into tree stumps, wrecking the boats in the process.
Mr Yorke said the Government was in the process of acquiring a radar, an equipment used to predict the weather, detect direction of storms and even measure the amount of rain to be produced in a rainstorm.
He said the acquisition of the radar would greatly enhance information gathering on the weather, especially considering the dynamic nature of the weather which required regular monitoring.
Thunderstorms have been the major cause of boat disasters on the Volta Lake, claiming the lives of hundreds of travellers over the years, but the GMA is taking proactive steps this year to give timely weather reports to users of the lake in order to avoid such disasters.
The GMA is to collaborate with local radio stations in the catchment area of the lake to disseminate information on thunderstorms to the people.
It, therefore, advised the communities to listen to radio stations for such information and act accordingly to minimise disasters on the lake.
Normally the thunderstorms travel from East to West and given the period of their monitoring, the GMA is able to give information on the storms three or four hours ahead.
The Volta Lake Basin, which spans five regions in the country, provides a major means of transportation, fishing and other economic activities for communities along the lake.
The thunderstorms normally sweep across the Volta Lake Basin and other parts of the country from the beginning of the rainy season in late February to November, leaving in their trail destruction of lives, plantations and property, both on water and land.
A recent study conducted by the GMA indicated that between 155 and 175 storms were recorded in the Volta Lake Basin last year.
According to the study, although the thunderstorms were responsible for about 84 per cent of annual rainfall, they were also responsible for majority of boat disasters on the Volta Lake.
A Principal Meteorologist, Mr Charles Yorke, told the Daily Graphic that although over-loading of boats and tree stumps in the lake contributed to the boat disasters, the meteorological phenomenon was the major cause of the disasters.
He said during thunderstorms, the water became rough, thereby, making sailing difficult and causing some boats to capsize in the process.
He said in other instances, the thunderstorms diverted the course of the boats and caused them to run into tree stumps, wrecking the boats in the process.
Mr Yorke said the Government was in the process of acquiring a radar, an equipment used to predict the weather, detect direction of storms and even measure the amount of rain to be produced in a rainstorm.
He said the acquisition of the radar would greatly enhance information gathering on the weather, especially considering the dynamic nature of the weather which required regular monitoring.
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