Ethiopia Forest Fire Emergency Update

16 March 2000, 09:00GMT


The update information by satellite sensors is provided by imageries of the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP).

14 March 2000, click to enlarge (482 KB) 14 March 2000, click to enlarge (20 KB) 14 March 2000, click to enlarge (54 KB)

Fig.1-3 DMSP scenes of East Africa, 14 March 2000.The red dots represent active fires. Land signature: brown; water: blue; clouds: grey; stable lights (cities): cyan.We are currently in the phase of the lunar cycle with more than 50% lunar illumination. This often leads to reflections from the top of clouds being detected as lights.
(Fig.1.: Upper left corner 20°N, 22°E lower right corner 0°N, 50°E
Fig.2 & 3: Upper left corner 9°N, 38°E lower right corner 5°N, 42°E)
(source: DMSP)

 

Ethiopia Current Fire Weather Situation and Forecast

Fire Weather Forecast for the Southern Region:
Tropical movement remain off the Mozambique coast thus moisture is contained in the southern hemisphere.

Tab.1. Addis Abba AREA FORECAST FOR 14H00 Tuesday 16 March 2000

6 Day 14h00 Forecast Ethiopia Region Addis Abba Area
Day Temp (C) Hum (%) W Dir WSpd (km/h) Bar (Hpa) FDI Tendency
Thu 16 30 43 SE 12 1004 57 Yellow
Fri 17 30 41 SE 11 1008 57 Yellow
Sat 18 31 39 NE 18 1010 65 Orange
Sun 19 33 37 NE 16 1009 67 Orange
Mon 20 32 37 NE 16 1010 65 Orange
Tue 21 31 39 NE 17 1011 64 Orange

Tab.2. Goba AREA FORECAST FOR 14H00 Tuesday 16 March 2000

6 Day 14h00 Forecast Ethiopia Region Goba Area
Day Temp (C) Hum (%) W Dir WSpd (km/h) Bar (Hpa) FDI Tendency
Thu 16 28 41 S 14 1005 58 Yellow
Fri 17 27 43 SE 13 1010 55 Yellow
Sat 18 28 41 SE 14 1009 58 Yellow
Sun 19 26 48 SE 16 1010 54 Yellow
Mon 20 27 47 SE 15 1009 56 Yellow
Tue 21 28 45 SE 14 1009 56 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).

 

16 March 2000, click to enlarge (90 KB) 17 March 2000, click to enlarge (100 KB)

Fig.4.and 5. Fire weather forecast maps for Ethiopia, 16 and 17 March 2000
(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.

 

Nationalgeographic / News posted an article today 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)

PlanetArk posted the following article today:
Firefighters contain blaze in Ethiopian game park (16 March 2000)
ADDIS ABABA - Firemen helped by over 5,000 volunteers managed to bring under control a fire in southern Ethiopia's Nechsar national park, home to the rare Swayne's hartebeest. The fire broke out on Sunday. Almaz Beyero, an agriculture ministry offical, told Reuters by telephone from Awassa that firebreaks created by the locals were now hemming the fire in. The park is home to the rare Swayne's hartebeest, a horse-like antelope with short, curved horns which is found only in Ethiopia. "The fire was brought under control before causing any harm to the teeming game animals inside the park," Almaz said. Nechsar, which covers some 514 sq km (200 sq miles), is located near the town of Arba Minch, some 500 km (310 miles) south of Addis Ababa. The fire at Nechsar was thought to have been started by Guji and Koira tribes while clearing bushland for cultivation. Meanwhile, a South African and Ethiopian joint team of firefighters is still trying to contain a forest fire which destroyed some 70,000 hectares (170,000 acres) of woodland in Bale and Borena, also in the south of the country. The firefighters were using two helicopters and a spotter plane to tackle the blaze from the air, while some 70,000 soldiers, farmers and students were fighting the fire on the ground.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

 

For further information (history of the current fire situation, etc.) please refer also to the earlier reports this and last week at the "Current Significant Fire Events" page. Some visual impressions from the currently ongoing fires in Ethiopia are also available.


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