The Flood Early Warning System for Accra (FEWS-Accra) is now operational and generating updated rainfall forecasts every 10 minutes, but officials say the platform is still undergoing validation before it can be fully relied upon for flood response.

According to a status update issued on June 30, 2026, the system has been developed to help Accra anticipate heavy rainfall and flooding, improve emergency preparedness and reduce the impact of flood disasters across the capital.

FEWS-Accra currently generates rainfall forecasts at a two-kilometre spatial resolution using satellite data from Meteosat Third Generation and provides a forecasting lead time of between two and three hours.

The platform is being implemented collaboratively by the Ghana Hydrological Authority, the Ghana Meteorological Agency, the NADMO and the Water Resources Commission under the Greater Accra Resilient Integrated Development (GARID) Project.

Officials said the system uses Delft-FEWS, an integrated forecasting platform that imports and processes weather and hydrological data, generates flood forecasts and issues automated alerts.

Although the platform is operational, technical teams from the implementing agencies are still carrying out a series of validation exercises before full implementation.

These include threshold testing, sensor and data transmission checks, last-mile communication assessments, as well as simulation and emergency response drills.

As part of the validation process, a limited simulation exercise was conducted at the Ga East District Assembly in May 2026 to assess how quickly NADMO could respond to flood alerts.

Project officials also engaged selected media organisations in November 2025 to explore how warning messages could be disseminated more effectively to the public. Based on feedback from that exercise, additional communication channels are now being considered.

Among the options under review are automated push and pull SMS alert systems to improve the speed and reach of flood warnings.

Officials said discussions are also underway on which implementing agency will absorb the operational costs of the messaging platform once the World Bank-funded GARID Project comes to an end.

"So far, the results are promising and we hope to set up a platform for the editors of the various media houses to support in the dissemination of warning alerts," the update stated.

The system combines four key elements: satellite-based rainfall nowcasting, hydrological and hydraulic flood modelling, neighbourhood-level risk communication, and stakeholder coordination.

Its development has also been supported by the installation of additional automatic weather stations, telemetry rain gauges and ultrasonic water-level sensors across the Greater Accra Region.

The project was initiated in response to the devastating June 3, 2015 floods, which claimed 159 lives and highlighted the need for a more robust flood forecasting and warning system.

Once fully validated, FEWS-Accra is expected to provide advance warnings of flood-prone areas following heavy rainfall, giving emergency agencies and residents valuable time to prepare and respond.