The nation’s capital, Yaoundé, had a surprising down pour, its first rainfall in months, Sunday evening, January 17. Starting at about 6 pm, it poured for about an hour thirty minutes, stopping at about 7:30 pm. Though its imminent manifest could be predicted by the presence of the thick cloud hovering over the city prior to it, people were particularly intrigued being that this happens to be the heart of the dry season.

January in most countries of the tropics and Cameroon in particular is the heart of the dry season with very high temperatures. In towns like Bamenda and other places in the North West region, January comes with harmattan which consist of dry cold, foggy skies and respiratory problems.

The last rainfall in Yaoundé was recorded some months ago and since then the environment remained very dry and dusty. The rainfall this Sunday disrupted many gatherings as December-January usually witness many social parties and family gatherings. In a francophone region where weekends are party time, many were embarrassed with this unannounced visitor; dressing codes couldn’t contain the rain and outdoor settings were no match for such an impromptu visitor.

It is to be noted that Yaoundé most often does not respect the dry/rainy season lineup of Cameroon. The city has about four climatic seasons, with its timetable often not the same with those of other towns.