Weather forecasters predict an "extended period of recovery" from a drought in the next few months, even as dam levels continue to drop, the Water and Sanitation Department said. "The likelihood for extreme wet conditions is also highly favoured" in the summer months of November to January, Mlimandlela Ndamase, a spokesperson for Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, said in a statement Wednesday. She was citing data from the South African Weather Service. "Forecasters are indicating that SA’s summer-rainfall areas can expect wetter conditions during November to January, and the mid-summer December to February periods." The nation’s rainfall last year was the lowest since records began more than a century ago, partly due to the El Nino weather pattern, and dry weather has persisted in 2016. The drought caused widespread damage to crops and livestock, with rural communities particularly affected. Dry conditions have persisted this year with below-normal rainfall and higher...
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