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By Annonciata Byukusenge
Normally, there are alternating periods of rainfall and sunshine throughout the year. In Kinyarwanda, we recognize three main seasons:
- Urugaryi: Characterized by sunshine, typically from January to February.
- Itumba: The main rainy season, beginning in mid-March or early April and lasting until early June.
- Impeshyi: The dry season, marked by intense sunshine, runs from June through early September.
However, the dry season of 2025 did not follow this usual pattern. Instead, it was marked by intermittent rain and sunshine.
What happened?
The Rwanda Meteorology Agency (Meteo Rwanda) announced that the unusual rainfall during the dry season was caused by a group of winds that usually circulate around the Earth. This wind system passed over the Indian Ocean, increasing humidity in the atmosphere, which led to rainfall and cooler temperatures in early July.
Meteo Rwanda made this announcement following noticeable rain and cool weather at the beginning of July 2025, which left many people wondering about the cause, as it was out of the ordinary.
On July 22, 2025, the Director of Meteo Rwanda, Aimable Gahigi, stated that the agency had already forecast rain for July as early as late June. The rainfall was attributed to that circulating wind system, which increased humidity.
He explained: “There is a global wind system that moves around the Earth and can take about 30 days to complete its cycle. When it passes over the Indian Ocean, it raises humidity levels in the atmosphere, which is what causes the predicted rain in early July. As humidity increases, we observe rainfall, and the usual heat decreases.”
In a weather forecast issued on June 30, Meteo Rwanda warned that between July 1 and July 10, rainfall levels would be slightly higher than average for that period.
Gahigi noted that such forecasts are based on long-term historical data, typically from the past 40 years.
Although people considered the July rainfall unusual, Gahigi clarified that this was not the first time it had occurred. There have been past instances of dry-season rains, some of which even have specific names in Kinyarwanda, such as Insindagirabigega and Inkangabagisha, indicating their recognition in traditional knowledge.
He added: “Based on historical data for the dry season, rain does occur from time to time, and the measurements confirm this. The data is there, but people are simply used to their local weather patterns and may assume seasons never change. There are even names for certain types of dry-season rain in Kinyarwanda, showing that such rainfall has long been observed based on traditional or empirical measurement methods.”
He concluded by noting that this kind of rain carries significance and aligns with recorded meteorological data, further demonstrating that dry-season rain is not unprecedented.
