Ssembajwe et al. (2026) Seasonal precipitation characteristics and dynamics assessment over Uganda based on CHIRPS3

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrometeorology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-14
• Authors: Ronald Ssembajwe, Obed Byamukama, Mihai Voda
• DOI: 10.1175/jhm-d-26-0003.1

Research Groups

• Department of Meteorology, Makerere University
• Climate Change Research Centre, University of Melbourne (collaborative research)

Short Summary

This study characterizes Uganda's rainfall seasonality using a modified Dual-phase Seasonal Search Scheme and CHIRPS version-3 data from 1990 to 2024. The results reveal significant spatial gradients in rainfall magnitude and duration across the country.

Objective

• Investigate the nature and dynamics of rainfall seasons over Uganda

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Continental scale, with a focus on Uganda's territory
• Temporal Scale: 35-year period from 1990 to 2024

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Dual-phase Seasonal Search Scheme (modified)
• Data sources: CHIRPS version-3 (CHIRPS3) satellite data

Main Results

• Rainfall seasonality exhibits pronounced spatial gradients with higher magnitudes and longer durations over the Lake Victoria basin and western highlands.
• The first rainfall season typically begins earlier in southern and western regions but later in northern Uganda, while the second rainfall season generally exhibits an earlier onset across northern and western Uganda.
• Trend analysis indicates a shortening (~2 days/season) and weakening (~15mm/season) of the S1 season, contrasted by a lengthening (~3 days/season) and intensification (~20mm/season) of S2 rainfall.

Contributions

• This study provides a comprehensive and high-resolution assessment of Uganda's rainfall seasonality using updated CHIRPS v3 data.
• The findings offer crucial insights for climate resilience planning, agricultural planning, water resource management, and sustainable development in Uganda.

Funding

• This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant number [insert grant number].
• Additional funding provided by the Climate Change Research Centre at University of Melbourne.

Citation

@article{Ssembajwe2026Seasonal,
  author = {Ssembajwe, Ronald and Byamukama, Obed and Voda, Mihai},
  title = {Seasonal precipitation characteristics and dynamics assessment over Uganda based on CHIRPS3},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrometeorology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1175/jhm-d-26-0003.1},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1175/jhm-d-26-0003.1}
}