According to Meteosat rainfall estimates, fairly heavy rains fell over the southern regions of Somalia during the first ten days of April. However, FSAU field reports considered rainfall light and localized during the dekad – in most cases less than what is indicated by satellite imagery.

Field reports confirmed light rainfall in parts of Lower Juba along the Kenyan border and in pastoral areas around Hagar, where a total of 42mm were reported falling on 7 and 9 April. Light rains were confirmed in all districts of Middle Juba (Sakow, Bu’aale, Jilib), with 51.5mm recorded in Jilib. In the Gedo region, light rains were confirmed south of Bardera and in the Luuq district. Light rains were confirmed in Afgoi, Wanle Weyne, Jennale (Marka) and Qoryoley in Lower Shabelle. In Wanle Weyne, rains were adequate to increase the water level in some catchments and to restore hope amongst agro-pastoralist. Low intensity and short duration rains were reported over some pastoral areas in the Bay region, although crop producing areas in the Bay region reportedly remained dry during the dekad. Light rains were reported in Balad and Jowhar in the Middle Shabelle region on 9 April.

Despite high humidity and heavy cloud cover over the Bakol region, no rain was reported during the dekad. The Hiran region was also reported dry, with the exception of very light rains over the pastoral area of Jalalaqsi on 1 April. The absence of rainfall throughout the central and northeast regions has been confirmed, where there is a growing concern over water shortages in some areas. There have been no field reports from Somaliland to confirm the light and patchy rainfall indicated by satellite imagery in some areas.

Below normal rains during the first dekad of April, the beginning of the 2000 gu season, in most key rainfed crop producing areas of southern, central and northwestern Somalia are confirmed by satellite imagery. Below normal rains in the Ethiopian highlands, which feed the Shabelle and Juba Rivers, is raising concern over the prospects for irrigated agriculture as well. Given the low level of the Shabelle River, gravity irrigation was possible only in limited areas of Jennale (Marka) and Qoryoley district in Lower Shabelle. FSAU reports indicate extremely low water levels in the Juba River during the first dekad of April.