Eastern and Southern Africa region is highly vulnerable to extreme climate events such as droughts and floods. In recent years, these phenomena have intensified and become more frequent, severely hindering the recovery efforts of affected populations.

Addressing these challenges requires concerted efforts to enhance adaptive capacities, improve early warning systems, and promote sustainable development practices that mitigate the impact of future climate extremes.

Climate services play a crucial role in bolstering climate resilience across Eastern and Southern Africa, where climate change is increasingly causing devastating impacts. In particular, sub-seasonal predictions spanning from two to eight weeks ahead are valuable for informing decision-making and early warning systems for various sectors, including agriculture, water management, energy, and disaster preparedness.

To equip meteorologists, climate scientists, and relevant stakeholders with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve the accuracy and application of sub-seasonal predictions, ICPAC is organizing a regional training on sub-seasonal forecasting using the latest Python version of the Climate Predictability Tool (PyCPT v2.8).

PyCPT v2.8, developed by the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), includes several significant advancements that enhance its functionality for sub-seasonal predictions. The training aims to significantly enhance sub-seasonal operational forecasting systems by building the capacity of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and ICPAC staff to use the latest version of PyCPT.

This improvement in forecasting has the potential to safeguard and improve the livelihoods of communities in the region by providing more accurate and timely weather predictions.

The workshop is an in-person gathering. Although there won't be a virtual platform for the training, organizing partners will actively engage on social media during and after the meeting.