The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) has urged farmers across Malawi to remain vigilant and closely follow weather forecasts amid projections of a strong El Niño event during the 2026/2027 rainy season.
Climate experts warn that the phenomenon could bring below-normal rainfall, prolonged dry spells, and above-average temperatures, particularly in the country’s Southern Region, posing a threat to agricultural production and food security.
Executive Director of DCCMS, Dr. Lucy Ntilatila, said the department is committed to providing timely and accurate weather information to help farmers make informed decisions.
She said DCCMS is preparing the 2026/2027 Seasonal Rainfall Forecast, which will provide detailed information on expected rainfall patterns across the country.
“We will make sure farmers are updated as required. We are also providing Impact-Based Forecasts (IBF), which highlight the likely impacts of weather conditions and the actions people should take,” she said.
Climate change expert Dr. Cosmo Ngongondo of the University of Malawi said the increasing frequency of El Niño events and rising temperatures are clear signs of climate change driven by global warming and other human activities.
“This year’s El Niño is expected to be stronger than previous events experienced in Malawi over the past decades. As such, it is important to ensure that farmers receive timely information to prepare for the expected weather conditions during the upcoming rainy season,” he stressed.
A lecturer at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Dr. Andy Safalawo, says farmers should adopt climate-smart farming practices which can help farmers reduce losses associated with El Niño such as early land preparation, planting on time, and growing early-maturing and drought-tolerant crop varieties.
“Timely information will help farmers prepare and reduce the risk of climate-related disasters,” he says.
Holyce Kholowa, a farmer from Zomba, recalls that during the 2023/2024 El Niño season, prolonged dry conditions forced him to invest in an irrigation pump to save his crops.
“My farm is along the river, so I was able to irrigate some of my crops. Although I did not harvest as much as I expected, irrigation helped me save part of my produce,” he says.
Kholowa encourages fellow farmers to adopt conservation agriculture, produce organic manure, and embrace technologies that improve water harvesting and moisture retention.
Meanwhile, DCCMS has established a multi-sectoral El Niño Preparedness Task Team to coordinate sector-specific risk assessments, provide monthly El Niño monitoring and outlook updates, and conduct public awareness campaigns to strengthen the country’s preparedness.
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern linked to warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean which influences weather conditions around the world and, when combined with human-induced climate change, can intensify extreme weather events.
Experts say that while El Niño typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts for about a year, its impacts can be significantly worsened by climate change, making preparedness and timely access to weather information critical for farmers and other vulnerable communities.