Satellite Fire Reconnaissance Update
The update information by satellite sensors is provided by imageries of the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite
Program (DMSP). The provision of satellite data are a response of the U.S. Government
to the Government of Ethiopia's call for international assistance.
Fig.1-3 DMSP scenes of East Africa, 30 March 2000. The red and white dots represent active fires. The center and right fire map show the area in which the problem fires are currently burning and fire-suppression actions take place. Land signature: brown; water: blue; clouds: grey; stable lights (cities): cyan.
(Source: DMSP)
Ethiopia Current Fire Weather Situation and Forecast
Fire Weather Forecast for the Southern Region:
Fairly cloudy over the country this morning but not much rain falling at the moment.
Mainly light showers in the mountains. At least moisture levels by mid day seem to be
higher over the next couple of days.
Tab.1. Addis Ababa area forecast for 14:00 Saturday 1 April 2000. Fire Danger Index (FDI)
| 6 Day 14h00 Forecast Ethiopia Region Addis Abba Area | |||||||
| Day | Temp (C) | Hum (%) | W Dir | WSpd (km/h) | Bar (Hpa) | FDI | Tendency |
| Sat 1 | 28 | 60 | SW | 21 | 1003 | 56 Yellow |  |
| Sun 2 | 29 | 55 | NE | 17 | 1005 | 56 Yellow | |
| Mon 3 | 28 | 54 | NE | 19 | 1006 | 57 Yellow |  |
| Tue 4 | 27 | 55 | NW | 15 | 1004 | 53 Yellow |  |
| Wed 5 | 28 | 48 | NE | 18 | 1004 | 58 Yellow | |
| Thu 6 | 26 | 65 | NE | 17 | 1005 | 49 Yellow | |
Tab.2. Goba area forecast for 14:00 Saturday 1 April 2000. Fire Danger Index (FDI)
| 6 Day 14h00 Forecast Ethiopia Region Goba Area | |||||||
| Day | Temp (C) | Hum (%) | W Dir | WSpd (km/h) | Bar (Hpa) | FDI | Tendency |
| Sat 1 | 23 | 55 | SW | 17 | 1009 | 50 Yellow | |
| Sun 2 | 24 | 60 | NW | 15 | 1008 | 48 Yellow | |
| Mon 3 | 23 | 65 | SW | 19 | 1007 | 48 Yellow | |
| Tue 4 | 24 | 55 | SE | 16 | 1006 | 50 Yellow | |
| Wed 5 | 24 | 54 | NW | 21 | 1008 | 54 Yellow | |
| Thu 6 | 24 | 68 | SW | 18 | 1007 | 47 Yellow | |
Source of forecast tables: Net Forecasting (South Africa) on the base of data from the ECMWF (European Center For Medium Range Weather Forecasts) and the U.K.M.O. (United Kingdom Meteorological Office).
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Fig.4. and 5. Fire weather forecast maps
for Ethiopia, 1 April and 2 April 2000.
Map legend
(Source: Net Forecasting)
Also available is a three-month rain forecast (starting 26 February 2000). The implications of this forecast are discussed by Net Forecasting.
An Eastern Africa and the Horn Satellite Imagery (NDVI) and rainfall analysis is provided by the USAID Famine Early Warning System.
The Ethiopian National Fire Fighting Committee, supported by the International Fire Emergency Advisory Group, has set up an Incident Command System. The structure of the system is given in the chart (Fig.4).
Fig.4. Structure of the Incident Command System (State: 20 March 2000)
Nationalgeographic / News has published an article which describes the ongoing fires resulting from slash-and-burn practices in Africa and Indonesia with information and imageries from last days GFMC webpages: Slash-and-Burn Agriculture Sparks Devastating Fires (16 March 2000).
For further information (history of the current fire situation in Ethiopia, starting in February 2000) please refer also to the earlier reports this and last week at the "Current Significant Fire Events" page. Some visual impressions from the ongoing fires in Ethiopia and several photographs taken from the Space Shuttle missions in the 1980s and 1990s with general impression of land cover and fires are also available.