The Harmattan Season in Cameroon
Steem greetings all the way from the motherland-Cameroon and welcome to my blog as I share about the weather conditions in Cameroon of recent. It is the harmattan season in Cameroon which is characterised with dry cold and dust, causing many inhabitants to suffer from cold and cough.
The worst of it is those living in the suburbs where roads are untarred. Everywhere is dusty and in hailing the dust particles caused them to suffer from cough and flu.
| A Brief Understanding of Harmattan Season |
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In Cameroon, we experienced two seasons which are the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season starts around mid March and ends in late September and at times October due to changes in climatic conditions.
The dry season starts from Early November and ends at early March. The harmattan season falls within the dry season and starts from late November to February.
During the harmattan season, the northeasterly winds blow with dust particles and sand from the Sahara desert across West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
The wind blows with dust and sand particles which causes inhabitants to suffer from flu and cough during this season.
| Some Diverse Effects of the Harmattan |
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The season has diverse effects on the environment, health, crops and animals.
For the environment, during this season as the wind blows, it has a great influence on higher risk of fire burning down our forest and damaging the environment.
Crops in the high lands with low precipitation levels caused the crops to dry off. Only crops planted in the wetlands survive during this season.
The dust particles sometimes make the weather looks like it’s foggy and we suffer from visibility. The air is dry during this season and caused most people to suffer from crack/dry lips and it also affects the skin. It causes dryness on the skin.
It is not the winter season but I think somehow is worst than winter because animals suffer a lot during this season because of lack of greener vegetation to feed on.
Temperatures during this season are extremely low during the early morning hours and hot during the day and extremely cold during the night.
| How to Stay Healthy During this Season |
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The first way to stay healthy during this season is to consume lots of water to stay hydrated. A lot of people suffer some illnesses due to the fact that they hardly drink enough water.
Secondly, consume lots of vegetables and fruits. This will help you stay hydrated and healthy.
Thirdly, consume lots of oranges or lemon water because it contains high level of vitamin C that will boost your immune system to fight common cold.
Fourthly, going out early in the morning or anytime of the day, it is advisable to put on your face mask to prevent in hailing the dust particles.
In sum, it is a harsh season of the year in Cameroon and we suffer from common cold and cough. To stay healthy is to drink enough water, eat lots of fruits and vegetables and consider putting on a face mask when going outdoor.