Misty hills signal coming of cold season

Misty hills...a blanket of mist hovers over Maja village in the Polokwane Local Municipality, Limpopo. South Africa experienced late rainfall as the country enters the winter season. The SA Weather Service says in its Seasonal Climate Watch report that "the multi-model rainfall forecast indicates above-normal rainfall for most of the country during early winter. Of importance for the next two seasons, mid-winter (Jun-Jul-Aug) and late-winter (Jul-Aug-Sep), there is below-normal rainfall expected for the south-west and above-normal rainfall for the southern coastal areas. As most of the rainfall during winter is expected in the far south-west, the below-normal rainfall conditions in those areas are expected to have a significant impact." The weather authority further advices: "The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a Neutral state, and forecasts indicate that it will likely remain in a neutral state during winter, with predictions indicating a higher probability to switch to an El Niño state during late-spring (Jul-Aug-Sep). However, ENSO’s impact is limited for the coming seasons until the next summer season which may be impacted by an El Nino state if early predictions are correct. Caution is advised however as changes in the ENSO prediction may change during winter and only monitoring is advised at this stage." Photo: Lucas Ledwaba/Mukurukuru Media