Seasonal weather forecasts tell farmers whether a coming season is likely to be wetter or drier than normal, driving decisions on what to plant and when, and whether to prepare for drought or flooding. Yet these forecasts can be hard to find, prompting this FarmBizAfrica guide for farmers in Southern and West Africa on where to find their national seasonal weather forecasts.

Although most countries in Africa see seasonal weather  forecasts produced for farmers by their national meteorological departments, these are rarely shared widely or made easy to find. This directory maps out, country by country, where farmers across Southern and West Africa can find their seasonal forecast every season. It first gives the regional forecasters, and then, below that, the responsible meteorological department for each country and where to access their forecast online.

Regional forecast bodies

In addition to national meteorological departments, several regional bodies produce seasonal forecasts that cover multiple countries. These are particularly important for countries whose national services do not publish standalone forecasts.

ICPAC—East Africa

Full name: IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre

Coverage: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti, South Sudan

Website: https://www.icpac.net

ICPAC produces the Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF) seasonal forecast, the primary seasonal forecast reference for East African farmers.

SARCOF—Southern Africa

Full name: Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum

Coverage: Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Website: https://www.sadc.int/themes/meteorology-climate

Coordinated by the SADC Climate Services Centre and convenes twice yearly. The most recent outlook, SARCOF-32, covers February to June 2026. Each member country’s national meteorological department translates this regional outlook into a national advisory.

AGRHYMET / PRESASS—West Africa and the Sahel

Full name: Regional Climate Centre for West Africa and the Sahel

Coverage: Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, Cape Verde

Website: https://agrhymet.cilss.int

AGRHYMET coordinates the PRESASS seasonal forecasting forum for the Sahel. The most reliable fallback source for West African countries without strong national forecast websites.

ACMAD—West and Central Africa

Full name: African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development

Coverage: Gulf of Guinea coastal countries and Central Africa

Website: https://acmad.org

Coordinates the PRESAGG forum for Gulf of Guinea coastal countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Liberia and Cameroon, and the PRESAC forum for Central Africa.

Southern Africa

Southern Africa’s seasonal forecasts are coordinated through SARCOF, with each national meteorological department responsible for translating the regional outlook into country-specific guidance. The MAM (March to May) season marks the tail end of the main rainy season across most of Southern Africa, a critical period for harvest planning and assessing whether the season delivered expected rainfall.

Country	Met Department	Website	Notes
Zambia	Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD)	zmd.gov.zm	Website currently unavailable. Contact: weather.zambia@mgee.gov.zm
Zimbabwe	Meteorological Services Department (MSD)	weatherzw.org.zw	Active. Seasonal forecasts are published regularly for agriculture and disaster preparedness.
Malawi	Dept of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS)	metmalawi.gov.mw	Active. Produces district level forecasts, the most detailed in the region.
Mozambique	Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INAM)	inam.gov.mz	Active. Forecasts downscaled from the SARCOF regional outlook.
Botswana	Department of Meteorological Services	meteo.gov.bw	Limited website. Contact: fforecasting@gov.bw
South Africa	South African Weather Service (SAWS)	weathersa.co.za/home/seasonalclimate	Active. MAM 2026 forecast published February 2026. Best documented in the region.
Namibia	Namibia Meteorological Service	meteona.com	Active. A dedicated seasonal rainfall outlook section is available.
Eswatini	Eswatini Meteorological Service	swazimet.gov.sz	Active. Produces seasonal forecasts and climate bulletins with agromet services for farmers. Contact: weather@swazimet.gov.sz
Tanzania	Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA)	meteo.go.tz	Active. Also covered under ICPAC East Africa regional forecast.
Angola	Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia e Geofisica (INAMET)	inamet.gov.ao	Website in Portuguese. English seasonal forecast not confirmed.

West Africa

West African seasonal forecasts operate differently from Southern Africa. While strong national services exist in Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal, many smaller countries rely primarily on the regional AGRHYMET/PRESASS system. The main agricultural season runs July to September for Sahelian countries and March to May for Gulf of Guinea coastal countries.

Country	Met Department	Website	Notes
Nigeria	Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet)	nimet.gov.ng	Active. 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction published. One of the strongest national forecasts in Africa.
Ghana	Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet)	meteo.gov.gh	Active. 2026 Seasonal Forecast officially released.
Senegal	ANACIM	anacim.sn	Active. Produces seasonal forecasts with specific agricultural guidance for farmers.
Cote d’Ivoire	SODEXAM	sodexam.com	Active. Produces seasonal forecasts. Content primarily in French.
Mali	Mali Meteo	malimeteo.ml	Active. Participates in PRESASS forum. Content in French.
Burkina Faso	ANAM	meteoburkina.bf	Active. Produces seasonal forecasts through PRESASS forum. Content in French.
Niger	Direction de la Meteorologie Nationale (DMN)	agrhymet.cilss.int	No standalone national forecast page. Use AGRHYMET regional forecast.
Guinea	DNMAHP	agrhymet.cilss.int	No standalone national forecast page confirmed. Use AGRHYMET regional forecast.
Benin	MeteoBeinin	agrhymet.cilss.int	Covered under PRESAGG Gulf of Guinea forecast.
Togo	Direction de la Meteorologie Nationale (DMN)	agrhymet.cilss.int	Covered under Gulf of Guinea seasonal forecast.
Liberia	Liberia Meteorological Service (LiMet)	agrhymet.cilss.int	No standalone national forecast page confirmed. Use AGRHYMET regional forecast.

For countries directed to AGRHYMET, the regional forecast at agrhymet.cilss.int covers all 17 West African countries and is the most reliable source for farmers each season.

How to use your seasonal weather forecast

The forecast for the season ahead is usually published six weeks to two months ahead of each season, which gives farmers time to prepare for the weather expected ahead. After checking the national meteorological department website until the forecast is published, the best ways to prepare are:

• Above-normal rainfall: Plan for potential flooding in low-lying fields. Consider drainage and invest in fast-maturing varieties.
• Below-normal rainfall: Prioritise drought-tolerant varieties, plan for supplementary irrigation where available and stage planting to reduce risk.
• Near-normal rainfall: Plan as a normal season, but monitor closely, as near-normal averages can still hide significant variability within the season.

Farmers in countries where national forecasts are unavailable should use the SARCOF outlook for Southern Africa or the AGRHYMET PRESASS outlook for West Africa as a regional guide.

Research conducted in March 2026 for FarmBiz Africa by Grace Zawadi 

Regional Bodies

ICPAC: https://www.icpac.net

SARCOF / SADC: https://www.sadc.int/themes/meteorology-climate

AGRHYMET: https://agrhymet.cilss.int

ACMAD: https://acmad.org

ACMAD PRESASS Forum: https://rcc.acmad.org/presao.php

Southern Africa—National Met Departments

Zambia ZMD: https://www.zmd.gov.zm

Zimbabwe MSD: https://www.weatherzw.org.zw

Malawi DCCMS: https://www.metmalawi.gov.mw

Mozambique INAM: https://www.inam.gov.mz

Botswana Met Services: https://www.meteo.gov.bw

South Africa SAWS: https://www.weathersa.co.za/home/seasonalclimate

Namibia Met Service: https://www.meteona.com

Eswatini Met Service: https://www.swazimet.gov.sz

Tanzania TMA: https://www.meteo.go.tz

Angola INAMET: https://www.inamet.gov.ao

West Africa—National Met Departments

NiMet Nigeria: https://www.nimet.gov.ng

Ghana GMet: https://www.meteo.gov.gh

ANACIM Senegal: https://www.anacim.sn

SODEXAM Cote d’Ivoire: https://www.sodexam.com

Mali Meteo: https://www.malimeteo.ml

ANAM Burkina Faso: https://www.meteoburkina.bf

Additional References

ProAgri Media 2026 Seasonal Forecast: https://www.proagrimedia.com/news-events/2026-seasonal-forecast-for-africas-farms-rain-risks-and-smart-farming-decisions/

AGRHYMET Watch Room Launch: https://aiccra.cgiar.org/news/regional-watch-room-agrhymet-leads-new-era-climate-resilience-west-africa-and-sahel

UNDP / AGRHYMET Partnership: https://www.undp.org/africa/blog/strategic-tripartite-partnership-improve-flood-forecasting-west-africa-and-sahel

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