Through January 2020 deficits will shrink and downgrade considerably, though intense deficits are expected in coastal Mauritania, eastern South Africa, and Lesotho. Surpluses will increase in East Africa and in nations along the northern shore of the Gulf of Guinea, with exceptional anomalies in central Nigeria and extreme and widespread surpluses in Tanzania.
Africa: Water deficits in South Africa to moderate; surpluses forecast in Tanzania
Exceptional water deficits are forecast to diminish considerably November through January, but will continue to emerge in coastal Mauritania, western Niger, southeastern Nigeria, and southern Cameroon. Deficits in South Africa are expected to moderate but severe deficits are forecast along the Orange River and from Lesotho through Swaziland. Notable surpluses are expected in southern Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. After January, moderate to severe deficits are forecast across North Africa, mild deficits in the south, and surpluses in Tanzania.
Africa: Water deficits to persist across North Africa & southern Africa
Exceptional water deficits are forecast to persist across North Africa, gradually diminishing in extent and severity, through November. Deficits of varying severity will also persist in much of Africa’s southern half, with extreme deficits forecast in Zambia. Water surpluses are forecast through November in Tanzania and northeastern Mozambique, and through February in Afar, Ethiopia. Deficits are expected to emerge in West Africa from December through February.