The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has predicted that there would be early rains this year. The Assistant Chief Technical Officer of the MSD, Mr Tibla Sandow, who made this known in Wa, said this was as a result of a phenomenon known as "El Nino", which occurred in the South Pacific in 2006. This phenomenon, Mr Sandow explained, led to a prolonged drought across the West African sub-region producing so much dust and causing the rains to delay in the early part of last year (2007). He said the heavy rains, which came later in the year however, weakened the high pressure, which should have forced the wind to come along with the Harmattan. As a result, Mr Sandow said there was not much wind this Harmattan season and "that is why there is not much dust coming along with the Harmattan in 2007". The low dust, according to Mr Sandow, would cause the rains to come down early this year. Asked when exactly Ghanaians should be expecting the rains, the assistant chief technical officer stressed that it would be early depending on where one was located geographically. Commenting on the state of tae offices of the MSD in the Wa Municipality, Mr Sandow said the office was no longer suitable for the gathering of the weather parameters. He attributed this to the closeness of the building to the synoptic centre and said it was not the best. He further explained that the northern sector of the country had its rains through transpiration; which called for planting of more trees because the area had less water bodies. He, therefore, advised against the felling of trees and burning of bushes and pointed out that the availability of the trees was the only means through which the northern sector could get rains and within the expected period. Mr Sandow said the practice of cutting down trees and burning bushes was bad and called on the various district assemblies to enforce their bye-laws to nip the practice in the bud. Source: Daily Graphic