The Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) says most parts of the country have more than 80 percent chance of receiving over 50 millimeters of rainfall from January 6-12, 2026.
This was contained in the latest Weekly Weather Bulletin issued by ZMD, to the media in Lusaka.
The Department has further announced that Southern and Western provinces have less than 35 percent chance of receiving more than 50mm of rainfall during the forecast period.
Meanwhile, ZMD has forecast isolated rain, characterised by occasional thunder from January 6 to 8, 2026 in Muchinga, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula and Northern provinces, including the eastern parts of Central, Lusaka and Northern parts of Northwestern provinces.
According to ZMD the anticipated rain and occasional thunder will occur in the mornings for the said provinces.
“Mornings will be mainly cloudy with isolated rain and occasional thunder.” The bulletin says.
“Minimum temperatures are expected to average between 10°C and 21°C. Afternoons are forecast to be mostly cloudy with rain and thunderstorms. With maximum temperature ranging between 21°C and 32°C. Nights will be mainly cloudy with isolated rain and thunderstorms.” The Department has revealed.
And the Department has announced that under the same forecast period, Southern and Western provinces including the Western parts of Central, Lusaka and the Southern parts of Northwestern provinces are expected to experience mornings characterized by partly cloudy tending to be cloudy in some areas with a chance of isolated rain and occasional thunder.
The Department has further revealed that from January 9 to 12, 2026 Copperbelt, Central, Lusaka, Luapula, Muchinga, Northern, Northwestern, Southern and Western provinces are expected to experience mainly cloudy mornings with outbreaks of rain and occasional thunder, while nights are expected to be mainly cloudy with isolated rain and occasional thunder.
And ZMD has since issued an advisory urging farmers to prepare fields for planting other crops and weeding.
The advisory has further implored farmers to regularly inspect fields for pests such as fall armyworms, cutworms and aphids.
“Farmers are advised to prepare fields for other crops, carry out planting and weeding activities and conduct regular field scouting to detect pests such as fall armyworms, cutworms and aphids.” The Department states.
The Department has also cautioned farmers to carefully manage the application of fertilizer to minimize leaching due to the expected rains.
“Fertiliser application should be carefully managed to minimise leaching due to the expected rains.”
In a bid to prevent crop water logging in high rainfall zones, ZMD has advised farmers to create field drainage channels to water logging.
“In high-rainfall zones, farmers should maintain field drainage channels to prevent crop water logging.”
ZMD has advised the public to avoid taking shelter under trees and to refrain from parking vehicles or leaving valuable property beneath trees due to anticipated storm activity.
