6 months ago
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The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMET) has forecast that Accra and other parts of the country will experience heavy rains, possibly from now till the end of July.
The disclosure of the information followed an hour of intense rains that flooded parts of Accra yesterday.
The most affected areas included the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, Kaneshie Lorry Station, Alajo and Adabraka.
The downpour also wreaked havoc in parts of Kasoa in the Central Region.
The Head of Central Analysis and Forecast at GMet, Felicity Ahafianyo, told the Ghanaian Times yesterday that from today through to Thursday, Accra and parts of the transition zone, including Oti, Bono and Ahafo regions, would continue to experience rainfall with moderate to severe thunderstorms.
A vehicle stuck in the floods at Kaneshie first light in Accra
She forecast that on the coming weekend, Upper West and parts of the Savannah Region would also be affected by thunderstorms with rainfall measuring between five and 25 millimetres per hour, with Oti and the Northern Regions expected to record slightly above 10 millimetres per hour.
The Head of Central Analysis and Forecast said Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions would experience widespread thunderstorm, and rains measuring between less than five millimetres and 20 millimetres per hour in the coming week end.
Meanwhile, properties running into many millions of cedis were destroyed as homes were submerged and properties washed away during the downpour in Accra.
Major roads and highways within the capital were also flooded, obstructing vehicular movement and causing heavy traffic, particularly at Kaneshie Lorry Station.
The situation led to severe congestion on roads, leaving numerous workers, traders, students, and motorists stranded and wrenched.
• Some damaged
vehicles as a result
of the rainstorm
Motorists were compelled to pull over along the roadside, seeking refuge from the relentless rain.
Some commuters were stuck in the immovable trail of traffic, while others had to walk to their destinations.
Sadly, it has become the norm for Accra to be submerged, even after the slightest drizzle.
As though that was not enough, many have taken advantage of the menace to dump their rubbish into drains to carry it away.
After about an hour of rain, a trader at the Kaneshie Lorry Station was captured emptying her rubbish bin into a nearby drain.
No wonder the drainage systems in most parts of Accra are choked with rubbish, particularly plastics and cans, which can potentially cause an outbreak.
Some commuters at Kaneshie Lorry Station who spoke with the Ghanaian Times claimed drivers were taking advantage of the situation to exploit them.
“The drivers have doubled the fare from Kaneshie to Kwame Nkrumah Interchange because of the downpour,” they said.
Meanwhile, a huge tree that fell on a motorcycle and the front bumper of an SUV vehicle as a result of the rainstorm has left one person in a critical condition.
The incident happened at Cantonments close to the Italian Embassy in Accra shortly after the downpour on Monday morning.
The driver of the SUV was safe and in good condition, but the motorcycle rider was rushed to the Police Hospital in Accra, after the tree fell on the lower part of his body.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service came to the scene to cut the tree into pieces and cleared the road to avoid traffic congestion.
BY PRECIOUS NYARKO BOAKYE
