By Johannah Nantongo
KAMPALA.Government has advised Ugandans to prepare for heavier-than-usual rainfall expected through December.
To safely navigate through this season, authorities have urged residents in flood-prone areas and landslide-risk zones to relocate early to avert possible loss of lives and property.
The warning follows projections by regional and global climate monitoring agencies indicating that strong El Niño conditions, reinforced by a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), could persist through February 2027.
Speaking during the weekly Uganda Media Centre press briefing, Deputy Executive Director Dennis Katungi said the anticipated rainfall could particularly affect Eastern Uganda, areas around Lake Victoria and low-lying communities vulnerable to flooding.
Katungi urged residents living near riverbanks, on flood plains, in flood-prone informal settlements and on slopes susceptible to landslides to take precautionary measures and move to safer areas before conditions deteriorate.
He also called on farmers to clear drainage channels, protect stored grain and consider planting fast-maturing, flood-tolerant crop varieties to minimise potential agricultural losses.
Travellers were similarly cautioned against driving, walking or swimming through moving floodwater, which can pose serious risks to human life.
The warning comes after East African Community officials met in Nairobi on November 5 to coordinate regional preparedness measures aimed at protecting lives, infrastructure, food supplies and public health during the anticipated rainy season.
The government has called for heightened vigilance and early preparedness among communities, particularly those living in areas historically affected by floods and landslides, as the country braces for potentially heavy rainfall.