Dear Editor,
A former hydrometeorological officer some years ago said that the El Niño weather phenomenon had ended and there was no indication that there would be a recurrence of the drought-like weather conditions in Guyana. He also reported that there was no evidence that Guyana would be facing a La Niña weather situation (characterized by excessive rainfall). This theory of El Niño has misled the nation’s farmers and the mining sector. The average daily discharge of rain has decreased resulting in less water for agriculture and mining in 2010.
The rainfall is expected to resume from April. In some parts of the world this year’s first crop output would drop, reflecting the reduced area sown due to lack of adequate water for irrigation. The 2010 paddy season in South America is well advanced, and harvesting is underway in several countries despite El Niño related weather problems. In Brazil, the region’s largest rice producer, harvesting is expected to be underway in the central and southern parts of the country and total output is expected to increase.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
