Climate Variability Alters Flood Timing Across Africa

Patterns of climate variability such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation or the Indian Ocean Dipole affect the timing of the start of the rainy season, but little is known about how this translates into changes in the timing of the annual flood in rivers. We use computer model reconstructions and observed records of river flows in Africa to understand how these patterns of climate variability are changing the timing of river floods. In eastern and southern Africa, in particular, the differences in flood timing can be more than three months. This information could help farmers in African floodplains to adapt their water management, planting, and cropping practices to these patterns of climate variability.