The rainy season has arrived and with it the much needed cool weather, Zimbabwe has been experiencing high temperatures in the past weeks and the drop in temperature has brought smiles to a lot of people. The advent of this season means the environment around us is going to change.
In the wet season, air quality improves which has substantial health benefits, fresh water quality improves, and vegetation grows to the joy of farmers, leading to crop yields late in the season. Rivers and dams that have had reduced capacity will see capacity increasing.
To those who love nature, this is the advent of the best time to be alive as there is revitalisation of trees and flowers making it a tourist’s dream. However, caution when travelling should be taken as roads will be slippery and visibility diminishes to a few kilometres if not metres depending on where one is.
There is always two sides of everything, the good and the bad. In Zimbabwe the rain usually means increased power cuts as electricity lines may be affected. There is less sun, for those who rely on solar power and for those who use firewood, that means foraging for it in the forest will be a mammoth task as they will be wet making it hard to use.
Thunderstorms make it nearly impossible to travel meaning people will be cooped up indoors and there will be need to be on high alert regarding weather change. Drowning cases increase as people attempt to cross rivers with high tides.
The nation should be prepared for both the positive and negative effects of rain by keeping an eye on communication from the meteorological department, staying indoors during thunderstorms and taking necessary precautionary measures as needed.
