Wet season expected across Eastern Africa.
A wetter than usual rainy season is expected over western and central Sudan, southwestern Ethiopia, southeastern South Sudan, western Kenya, eastern and central Uganda. The season is expected to start early in most farming areas of the region.
June to September is an important rainy season for Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Uganda. A wetter than usual season is forecasted for western and central Sudan, southwestern Ethiopia, southeastern South Sudan, western Kenya, eastern and central Uganda. The rest of the region is expected to receive the usual rainfall, except for a limited area of coastal of Somalia, where less than usual rain is expected.
This is according to the Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum, which was convened online on the 18 May 2020 by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC).
"Considering the ongoing simultaneous emergencies affecting the region, including floods, the desert locust invasion and the COVID19 pandemic, regional and national authorities are encouraged to use this seasonal forecast to adjust contingency plans, and to update them with ten days and monthly forecasts provided by ICPAC and National Meteorological Services," it said.
A summary for decision makers will be issued in the coming days. Exceptionally heavy seasonal rains across East Africa since late April have resulted in widespread floods, following an October, November and December rainfall season, which was one of the wettest on record.
An early start of the rains is expected over central and southern Sudan, central and southeastern Ethiopia, South Sudan, southern Eritrea and western Kenya. A delayed start of the rains is expected in eastern Somalia and Ethiopia, Djibouti, northern Eritrea, northern Sudan and Uganda, according to the Outlook.
A warmer than usual season is expected in northern and central Sudan, coastal parts of the region from Eritrea to Tanzania, central 
WMO supports regional climate outlook forums, which combine forecasting products from a variety of different models into a single consensus outlook. National meteorological services then downscale the regional outlook into national and local forecasts. GHACOF is one of the oldest and best established of the network. ICPAC is a recognized WMO Regional Climate Centre.
The Fifty-Fifth Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF55) was convened online on the 18 May 2020 by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) in collaboration with the national meteorological and hydrological services in the region and other partners to issue the June to September 2020 rainy season forecast for the region.
The virtual Forum brought together climate services providers and users from key socio-economic sectors, governmental and non-governmental organisations, decision-makers, climate scientists, and civil society stakeholders, among others, to discuss impacts and mitigation measures for the upcoming season.
