Wind surges, cooler weather as monsoon in swing |01 June 2005

The National Meteorological Services (NMS) says the first surge of the monsoon was believed to have swept through on May 4. The winds maintained for about a week after that but eventually died down, giving way to warm northwesterly winds that resulted in a record high temperature for May at 33.5 degrees Celsius, said NMS acting assistant director Denis Chang-Seng.

Tuesday morning’s gusts, however, averaged 30 km per hour with a maximum of 64 kph, as measured at the airport. Mr Chang-Seng said the wind surges were most likely even stronger at higher altitudes, but noted that these high-speed gusts were perfectly normal during the monsoon.

Average and maximum temperatures usually dip by 1-2 degrees Celsius during the Southeast Monsoon, specifically from June to August.

The cooler weather is not only due to the wind factor, but also because many low-level clouds develop during this season, which sometimes prevents sunlight from radiating down to the surface, Mr Chang-Seng said.

The NMS is also predicting that the first couple weeks of June in particular will be rather wet, he added. Warmer sea temperatures associated with this year’s weak El Nino conditions are expected help brew weather storms that will affect the inner islands.

The NMS said it was monitoring one potential storm that could cause substantial rain and wind this weekend.

While few would seemingly complain about getting relief from the recent heat, officials are bracing for the impact the historically dry monsoon season could have on the water supply.

The NMS has predicted this year’s Southeast Monsoon season will probably see more rainfall than normal, but evaporation from the constant winds is thought to be one of the main causes of water depletion of storage sites.

The Public Utilities Corporation imposed water restrictions earlier this month in most districts, and Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Ronny Jumeau has called on Seychellois to take steps to conserve water as much as possible.