The Namibia Meteorological Service says most parts of the country will continue to experience extremely hot conditions due to the heatwave in South Africa.

Temperatures will rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius.

Chief Forecaster of the Namibia Meteorological Service, Odlilo Kgobesti, said, “Over the interior, it will remain extremely hot in most parts of the country, where temperatures in the North will range between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius and in the South between 36 and 43 degrees Celsius. In the central part, we should expect temperatures around 38 degrees Celsius. To the east, temperatures will be about 39 degrees Celsius.”

However, there is some good news, with rain expected in parts of the country during the weekend.

“We’re expecting more cloud cover over the interior with intermittent showers. This will prevail for the next two or three days into the weekend, mainly over the North Central East and extending further to the southern part of the country. The good news is that in the south, there has been some cooling, which is an improvement over Friday, where temperatures will drop significantly. Therefore, we should expect temperatures to be in the lower 30s, and in the southern part of the country, particularly along the coastal regions, we expect cloud cover with warm to hot conditions. Rain is expected from today onward, up to Friday. We will experience more cloud cover; this tropical moisture will become more dominant in the interior. Therefore, we expect widespread rain.”

Researcher for Climate Finance and Development, Jasper Kassoma, says as temperatures rise, Namibians need to find meaningful ways to adapt to the crisis.

He further emphasizes that we need to reduce our carbon footprint as a country.

“But I would say that, for us as a country, we are a net carbon sink, and we don’t contribute much in terms of emissions. One thing we need to advocate for from a global perspective is financing for adaptation. As I indicated earlier, our health is likely to be impacted. Social groups such as women and children may suffer as temperatures rise. We must find meaningful ways to adapt to this crisis; the heat wave is upon us. Our advice is that Namibians should stay hydrated; they must carry water bottles. This is a situation that we in the scientific community are also trying to understand and address.”