Felicity Ahafianyo, Head of the Central Analysis and Forecasting Office and Chief Forecaster at the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMET), has explained some of the challenges the agency faces in communicating accurate weather forecasts to the public.
Speaking on Good Afternoon Ghana on Metro TV on Monday, December 1, 2025, she addressed confusion over last Thursday’s weather forecast, which suggested thunderstorms in some parts of the country.
Madam Felicity Ahafianyo said the agency’s morning forecast had indicated only isolated thunderstorms with a 30-40% probability in certain areas, including Accra, Kasoa, and Kete Krachi.
“When I saw that, I tried to see who was behind the misleading message, but unfortunately I couldn’t get the person yet. I’m still working on it,” she added.
She noted that such misreporting can be confusing both for the public and GMet staff.
“You get confused because we have prepared a forecast and sent it, then someone picks it and twists it in a different way. Even we (GMet) were like, where is it coming from?” she disclosed.
She urged media houses to verify GMet forecasts before sharing them.
“If you don’t understand it, give us a call. We will come on live and explain to your listeners, viewers, or audience so that we don’t mislead them,” she said.
She also addressed the perception that weather forecasts are often inaccurate.
“We don’t normally get it right all the time. But for the past five years, we have improved significantly. When we do validation, we score 93%,” she said, adding that she encourages the public to follow GMet forecasts and track their accuracy.
Sharing her personal experience, Madam Felicity Ahafianyo described the daily effort involved in preparing forecasts.
“Currently, I live in Dodowa. I have a challenge with my car, but I need to be in the office by 6 am. I download thousands of charts, analyse them, interpret them, and then communicate them in a way the ordinary Ghanaian can understand,” she said.
She explained the importance of probability in forecasting.
“If we put 30%, it means there is a 30% chance that the rains will come down or not. That is something that often gets left out when forecasts are shared,” she said.
On reaching the general public, Madam Ahafianyo said GMet is exploring ways to improve accessibility.
“We are trying to see how we can use audio and WhatsApp messages to reach people who aren’t on social media. We are running a pilot in the Volta and Central regions,” she said.
Mrs. Ahafianyo, who has spent 26 years at GMet, began her career in 1999 as an observer and moved to TV forecasting in 2006. She remains committed to improving public understanding of weather forecasting and ensuring that Ghanaians receive reliable information.
