Assessment of Rainfall Variations in South Region, Cameroon

Abstract

This study of rainfall variation in the south region of Cameroon has as objective to evaluate the present climate trends in the south region using weather data from 1960 to 2010. To achieve this objective, daily and monthly rainfall data were collected from the Ebolowa weather station. Results of this study show that generally, the south has an average of 1807 mm of rainfall in an average of 165 days. Two rainfall regimes were recognized, the bimodal with four seasons: two dry and two rainy seasons and occupies 88% of the region climatic system. The trimodal with six seasons three dry and three rainy seasons and occupies 22% of the region climatic system. Despite this seasonal repetition, rainfall is experienced in all the months of the year within the 50 years’ study period, with constant seasonal displacement and compensation within the seasons. Generally, there is a constant decrease in rainfall and number of days of rainfall but rainfall is decreasing faster than the number of days and the rainfall patterns are more or less irregular.