Health and Environment<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bulawayo \u2013 The Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe (MSD) has released its highly anticipated Seasonal Rainfall Forecast for the 2025\u20132026 season, predicting a delayed and erratic start before conditions are expected to improve significantly from December onward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the forecast, the initial phase of the season, covering October to November 2025, is likely to be characterised by below-normal rainfall, particularly in the northern regions of the country. This has immediately raised concerns among farmers and water resource managers about a potentially challenging start to the agricultural season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe season is expected to begin with delayed and erratic rainfall,\u201d confirmed Dr. James Ngoma, a senior climatologist at the MSD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a critical period for planting, and the predicted dry spells, especially in the north, require careful planning and adaptation from our farming communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Temperatures during this initial period are also forecast to be warmer than average for October and November before cooling down in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The forecast, however, carries a message of hope for the latter part of the season. The MSD predicts a significant improvement in rainfall patterns starting in December 2025, with normal to above-normal rains expected across much of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe anticipate conditions to improve significantly from December,\u201d Dr. Ngoma added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis will be a crucial window for farmers to take full advantage of the peak rainfall to ensure good crop establishment and growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The outlook for the core rainy months of January to March 2026 shows a divided pattern. While the northern provinces may continue to experience below-normal rainfall, the central, southern, and western regions are forecast to receive normal to above-normal rainfall, which would greatly support agricultural prospects and water reservoir recharge in those areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key Implications for the Nation<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MSD has urged stakeholders to heed the forecast. Farmers, in particular, are encouraged to adopt climate-smart agriculture practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGiven this outlook, we strongly advise farmers to consider planting drought-tolerant varieties in vulnerable areas, practice water conservation techniques, and follow official planting guidelines closely,\u201d the MSD stated in its report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The forecast implies that communities in northern Zimbabwe should prepare for potential water shortages and plan accordingly, while those in the south and west have better prospects for a productive agricultural season if the rains materialise as predicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The department has committed to providing regular updates throughout the season to guide the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow Zim GBC News on Social Media:
\u00b7X (Twitter): @ZimGbc
\u00b7Instagram: @ZimGBCNews
\u00b7TikTok: @ZimGBCNews_01
\u00b7Facebook: Zim GBC News
\u00b7YouTube: Zim GBC News<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get real-time alerts on WhatsApp:
+263 773 820 323<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zim GBC News<\/strong> | Global News From An African Perspective\u00a92025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Health and Environment Bulawayo \u2013 The Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe (MSD) has released its highly anticipated Seasonal Rainfall Forecast for the 2025\u20132026 season, predicting a delayed and erratic start… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment-and-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9382"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9384,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9382\/revisions\/9384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}