A violent hailstorm struck the rural commune of Iarintsena in Ambalavao district last Sunday. The meteorological event caused agricultural devastation for residents. Hailstones covered vast areas of cultivated fields. "90% of our crops were destroyed by hail," testified a local resident.
This weather phenomenon observed in Ambalavao stems from the same mechanism as recent local showers that occurred from the South to the Central Highlands. These rains surprised many. Some wondered if they were already the first inter-seasonal rains. The General Directorate of Meteorology clarifies that these precipitations are due to a climate anomaly. "A depression at altitude that formed in South Africa approached southern Madagascar. This disturbance caused these local showers," explained technicians. They confirm that winter has not yet ended.
These showers were not artificially induced rain either. "Cloud seeding was not necessary. Natural meteorological conditions were already in place to produce rain. Moreover, these precipitations occurred over a particularly vast geographical area," explained Miakadaza Harinjaka Randriamahandry, head of the Meteorological Applications Service. Overcast skies are still expected this morning, with some showers in the afternoon over the Central Highlands.
Miangaly Ralitera