Wet Christmas across country predicted

WEATHER experts predict that areas around the Great Dyke might experience heavy rains today while most parts of the country are also expected to be wet.

According to the Meteorological Services Department, most provinces are expected to be cloudy, hot and humid with rain showers and light thunderstorms.

All Mashonaland provinces, Harare Metropolitan Province, Manicaland Province, North of Midlands Province as well as much of Matabeleland North Province are forecast to be cloudy, hot, humid with rain-showers and light thunderstorms every now and again,” read part of a statement from the MSD.

“The rest of the country should be mostly partly cloudy with rain-showers and isolated light thunderstorms.”

The MSD said due to the high temperatures in some areas, there might be violent storms.

“Please be advised that because of high temperatures, these storms may be violent and accompanied by hail and damaging winds,” said the department.

“The rest of the country, however, should be partly cloudy with rain showers and isolated light thunderstorms.”

With the country having experienced heavy rains for the past few weeks, the rains are expected to continue during the festive season.

The MSD has since predicted that this season, areas like Harare, much of Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland North, Eastern parts of Midlands and parts of Manicaland will receive normal to below normal rainfall.

Normal to above normal rainfall is expected in Masvingo, Southern parts of Manicaland and most parts of Matabeleland South.

The good rains have given farmers hope of a good agricultural season.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union President Mr Wonder Chabikwa said the rainfall pattern is favourable and most farmers have reverted to their old farming methods.

Last season, farmers had to adjust farming techniques after an alert of low rains had been issued by the MSD.

“This season is teaching us to go back to our old ways of farming. Some farmers had started growing crops in wetlands, but with the current rainfall trends, it means those areas will be water-logging,” he said.

“We also advise farmers to drain excess water from their fields through creating waterways so that crops are not affected.”

Zimbabwe has high hopes of a good agricultural season with programmes such as Command Agriculture having been launched.

The programme targets about 400 000 hectares under maize crop with expectations of a harvest over two million metric tonnes of the staple grain.

“Chii chauri kupindura ipapo? Nyararai mese,” said with intense venom.

One can easily understand. Their father was convicted of four counts of rape in February 2014 and is currently serving his effective 40-year jail term.

Today is the third Christmas without him and it definitely cannot be easy for the family.

One of Gumbura’s sons, Titus, whispered to The Sunday Mail, “Every holiday we do this. We really look forward to these visits. We might come back to visit again tomorrow (today). We miss mdhara at home.”

While the kids might have to forgo the spoils that their father had accustomed them to every year before becoming a guest of the State, his wives also have to