Is there a problem with Africa’s weather monitoring system?
The current networks of weather stations in Africa – and their spatial coverage – are insufficient for monitoring structural changes in rainfall patterns and therefore inadequate for dealing with climate change. In addition, most of these stations are located near airports, because historically aviation was the first sector that gathered weather data. However, meteorological information from airports cannot be applied to distant locations due to the high variability of rainfall. Could you explain why this is a problem? To make informed predictions of climate changes in future, and their impact on rural communities, we need weather records that span at least 30 years. Such a historical database is indispensable for determining whether what is being observed is actual climate change or just climate variability. Variability refers to the normal changes in climate patterns in a region, while climate change implies a distinct difference either in temperature or rainfall from one period to a
