Africa’s weather forecasting infrastructure is struggling to meet the demands of a continent increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events. With climate change exacerbating the frequency and severity of disasters, the lack of reliable weather data poses a grave risk to millions.
In Chad, one of the hardest-hit nations, weather stations lie abandoned, some with broken equipment, like the non-functional humidity gauge at the National Meteorological Agency (ANAM). The situation is a stark reflection of the wider crisis across Africa, where weather data is scarce and often unreliable.
At COP29 climate talks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action to address the continent’s data gap. He urged enhanced funding and resources to ensure all nations are equipped with early warning systems by 2027. However, in Chad, the challenge is daunting. Deputy Director Hamid Abakar Souleymane revealed that 80% of the weather equipment at ANAM is non-operational, leaving the country ill-prepared for its seasonal floods.
Africa’s weather network is among the least developed globally. Fewer stations meet international standards than in Germany, and only two African countries are compliant with basic observational requirements, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This leaves millions at risk. In Chad alone, floods have killed over 570 people and displaced nearly two million.
Experts argue that timely data alone is insufficient without the proper infrastructure to act on it. Chad’s meteorological agency, for example, struggles with insufficient personnel and outdated technology, hindering its ability to respond to extreme weather events.
International efforts, such as the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), aim to upgrade Africa’s weather stations, but funding remains a critical issue. SOFF has raised $94 million of its $200 million target, and the window for closing Africa’s weather data gap is rapidly closing.