The Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA)
Director General, Dr Agnes Kijazi, said since November, last year, the
temperature has been higher than normal though many people did not
notice it.
“The strong El Niño that emerged in 2015
in the country and continued into 2016 has impacted temperatures from
October to December 2015 and the beginning of 2016,” she said.
The director made the disclosure in an
interview with journalists during an event to mark the World
Meteorological Day (WMD) observed across the world yesterday.
The theme for the WMD 2016 was Hotter,
Drier, Wetter, Face the Future. Ms Kijazi said temperature during that
period reached up to 36 degrees centigrade which was generally above
monthly average by 1.7 to 2.0 degrees centigrade’s particularly in the
coastal areas and the North eastern highlands.
According to the climate report issued
by the World Meteorological Organisation, similar records of high
temperature has also been reported globally. The UN weather agency said
hotter weather appears to be here to stay, El Nino or not.
They pointed out that not only was 2015
breaking records on the surface but also hundreds of meters deep in the
ocean, all caused by a combination of El Nino and global warming.
Expounding further, Ms Kijazi said the theme of WMD 2016 tries to bring
focus on the climate change that is disrupting the natural pattern of
the seasons.
The climate change is also increasing
the frequency and intensity of certain extreme weather events, such as
heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall.
As one of the measures to prevent global
warming impacts TMA in collaboration with Tanzania Forest Services
(TFS) planted trees in the whole country in which 30 trees were planted
in Dar es Salaam at the area where TMA expect to build its offices.
A statement by The Minister for Works,
Transport and Communication, Prof Makame Mbarawa, stated that impact of
climate change were also evident in Tanzania where temperature was
increasing in almost all the regions and rainfall variability was high.
“We have witnessed decline of glaciers
on top of Mount Kilimanjaro and disappearance of some animal and plant
species, increasing number of climate related disease cases such as
malaria and occurrence of these in areas where they are not common,” the
statement read in part.
It further read that temperature records
for the period 2011 to 2015 were the highest on record and the year
2015 was hottest on record since modern observation began in 1800.
Generally, increase in air temperature is attributed to increase in
emission of greenhouse gases emission.
It also stated that as the world
prepares to face the future in the changing weather and climate, each
person can play an active role in monitoring, understanding and
responding to the weather and climate
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