By Elishamai Alouis Ziumbwa
Zimbabweans should prepare for unusually high temperatures at the start of the 2025–26 rainy season the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has warned cautioning that the heat could affect the onset of rains and key agricultural activities.
Speaking at the National Climate Outlook Forum (NACOF) in Harare, MSD Director Rebecca Manzou said while most parts of the country are expected to receive normal to above-normal rainfall, the early months of the season will be marked by persistent heat.
“From November to December, we expect warmer-than-normal conditions across the country,” Manzou said, noting that the unusually hot spring already felt by many Zimbabweans is consistent with the department’s climate data.
Temperatures are forecast to ease gradually from January into February.
Manzou said the MSD forecast is based on three overlapping periods November to January, December to February and January to March to improve precision as the season progresses.
“From November to January, the northern and western parts of the country are likely to receive normal to above-normal rainfall. As we move into December through February that outlook becomes more uniform across Zimbabwe,” she added.
Manzou stressed the importance of collaboration and timely information exchange between forecasters and stakeholders calling forecasts vital decision-making tools rather than academic reports.
“We need to work together from month to month because climate drivers change,” she said.
To support farmers, particularly in rural areas, the MSD has trained volunteers to translate climate information into local languages to ensure communities can act on early warning information.
Representing the Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services (AARDS), Matabeleland North provincial director Zenzele Ndlovu said climate-based planning was crucial for Zimbabwe’s agriculture-driven economy.
“Weather affects everyone farmers, aviation and other sectors. As an agro-based country we must plan around climate realities,” she said.
The 2025–26 seasonal outlook is expected to guide preparedness across agriculture, water management and disaster response sectors as the country enters another unpredictable rainy season.
