Gu'

Gu' is the name of the largest rainy season of the year in Somalia and parts of the Horn of Africa. It generally begins in March or early April and lasts until June. It is the season of heaviest rainfall and forms the basis for agriculture and pastoral herding.

The Somali traditional year consists of four seasons: Gu', Xagaa, Dayr, and Jiilaal. Gu' and Dayr are the two rainy seasons, while Xagaa and Jiilaal are dry seasons. For this reason, Gu' is sometimes used to mean 'year' when reckoning age or time.

Cause of the rains

The Gu' rains are associated with the movement of the hot air convergence zone at the surface (ITCZ) northward during the summer season. The shift in seasonal winds—from the northeast winds to the southwest winds—brings moisture. Gu' rainfall typically arrives in short, intense bursts, which means rainfall amounts vary considerably over short distances.

Life and livelihood

Pastoralists move their livestock during this season to areas with fresh pasture, benefiting from increased milk production. Farmers sow their crops at the beginning of Gu', particularly sorghum, maize, and beans; the Gu' harvest is one of the two largest harvests of the year. Gu' rains also replenish reservoirs, wells, and seasonal water sources.

Variability and hazards

A weak or failed Gu' brings drought, livestock deaths, and food shortages. Conversely, exceptionally heavy rains cause flooding, particularly in the lower Shabelle and Jubba river valleys. Humanitarian and early warning reports on drought frequently use the Gu' and Dayr seasons as temporal reference points.