South Africa’s maize belt is again facing bleak rainfall prospects, due to a tropical low pressure cyclone in the Mozambique channel drawing moisture away from the country, South African Weather Service (Saws) forecaster Evert Scholtz said on Tuesday morning.
“There is a chance for light thunderstorms up until Wednesday or Thursday in the North West and Free State provinces. However, this rainfall is going to make very little difference and is likely to result in no more than five millimeters of precipitation,” said Scholtz.
“There is going to be no real rainfall system developing over South Africa for the foreseeable future. It’s bad news. We are set for dry weather,” he added.
South Africa’s current maize crop urgently needs follow-up rainfall, especially on the western side of maize belt in the Free State and the North-West provinces.
The country’s Crop Estimates Committee in January put the country’s maize area at 2,56-million hectares, the lowest area in 52 seasons or since the 1951/52 season. – I-Net Bridge