SEVERE HARMATTAN HITS TAMALE ....(Page 29)

Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale

A SEVERE harmattan has descended on the people of the Northern Region. The prevailing situation is compelling most of them to stay indoors.
The cold dry winds are also forcing many people to retire early to bed, with some workers reporting late to work.
Even though some schools have re-opened for academic work, many pupils and students are yet to report following the harsh weather conditions in the area.
Cosmetic and second-hand protective clothing dealers are reaping the benefits as most residents are rushing to them to buy their pullovers and jackets to protect themselves against the cold and their skins from becoming dry, particularly the lips that easily crack if not well oiled.
According to a 72-year old retiree, Mallam Iddrisu Musah, ‘‘I suffer so much under this weather for which reason I hardly come out, except during the day. At night, they have to prepare fire to warm my room to enable me to feel comfortable.’’
An 18-year-old rheumatic patient, Ms Helena Amoako, said as a result of her illness, ‘‘I sometimes cry at night and at dawn when it becomes too cold, because those are the times I feel severe pains in my bones, particularly the joints’’.
This year’s harmattan began slowly about three weeks ago, becoming severe at the weekend. Even though the weather is windy and hazy, the Northern Regional Officer incharge of the Meteorological Service Department, Mr Dominic Soami Pokperlaar, told the Daily Graphic that ‘‘the weather is moderate and not too bad to affect the safety of aircraft in the area; they can land safely.’’
He debunked the notion by some residents that the heavy rains in the north last year accounted for this season’s severe harmattan winds.
‘‘Heavy rains have no direct relation to the harmattan as they are two different weather conditions altogether,’’ the officer explained, adding that, ‘‘The general trend is that harmattan began in November the previous year, and sometimes ends in February or March the following year.’’
Mr Pokperlaar, however, acknowledged that his outfit did not have the necessary equipment to give accurate data on the situation, for which reason it relied on the headquarters in Accra for such information.
The seasonal phenomenon occurs in most parts of the country, especially in the northern sector, where the dry winds are blown down from the neighbouring Sahelian regions.