Drought Relief Begins In South Africa
By Andrew Owen and Drew Lerner
Kansas City, January 16 (World Weather Inc.) – Much needed rain fell in portions of South Africa during the past few days. The distribution of rain was the best seen since the growing season began, although rain amounts were still light in quite a few areas. The most important part of the event is that it is expected to perpetuate over the next ten days offering additional 
moisture and possible improvement to many drought stricken areas in the nation. Production cuts are still expected, despite the improving trend, but the precipitation might help stop the decline in crop conditions and offer “some” improvement in yield potentials.
The greatest amount of rain during the past week fell from southern Natal through eastern Free State and western Mpumalanga into eastern North West and western Limpopo. Rain totals for the seven day period ending this morning ranged from 0.50 to 2.17 inches with local amounts up to 4.30 inches. Other production areas reported 0.35 to 1.00 inch of rain with locally greater amounts. Much of the rain fell in the past few days. Some of the areas that received the greatest rainfall were also among the wetter areas in December suggesting the greatest crop improvements will take place from southwestern Limpopo and extreme eastern North West into western Mpumalanga which is an 
important corn and soybean production region.
Some improvements were noted in the topsoil due to the recent precipitation. Natal, portions of Mpumalanga and neighboring areas have adequate moisture in the topsoil while the remaining production areas still have a shortage of moisture. The driest areas continue in western Free State and western North West where substantial rain is needed to seriously ease drought. Subsoil moisture remains short or very short across all summer crop areas and several inches of rain will be needed to fully restore normal conditions.
Frequent rainfall will continue across the summer grain, oilseed and cotton production region through the beginning of next week. Rain amounts will be high enough to slowly bolster soil moisture and improve crop development rates. Most locations will still be dealing with moisture shortages next week at this time, but much-improved topsoil conditions should have greatly changed the short term 
outlook for crop development. Precipitation totals for the seven day period ending next Tuesday morning will range from 0.50 to 1.25 inches in northeastern Limpopo and 0.75 to 2.00 inches in many other areas. A few local totals as great as 2.50 to 3.50 inches will be possible.
The wet weather and cloudy skies will limit the amount of heat that impacts South Africa. However, daily temperatures will still be warm enough to promote aggressive drying between rain events. Daytime highs will often peak in the 80s and lower to middle 90s Fahrenheit with warmer pockets northwest.
Topsoil moisture will increase in the coming week to ten days. Subsoil moisture will remain short to very short in many areas over the next few days before improving later in the forecast period once moisture from the topsoil permeates down to subsoil levels. Crops will still be stressed at times in western Free State and western North West where soil moisture will remain lowest.
Corn, soybeans, cotton, sorghum, sunseed, groundnuts and other crops will benefit from the improving trend. Many will experience a spurt of new growth and for those crops that received significant rain in December production potentials will likely improve greatly. Many other crops that were seriously hurt by heat and dryness last month will experience very little improvement in production potentials. There is still time for improvement nearly all crops, but a steady diet of timely rain and seasonable temperatures will be needed for the best yield potentials. Production losses may resume if dryness returns later in the summer.
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