Somali pasturalists, throughout the Horn of Afica, are currently facing one of their historic and perhaps the only  common adversary remaining today – the dry winter season (Jiilaal Caddaa) which  when complcated by the failure of the “Dayr”rains becomes highly deadly and destructive – a full blown “Abaar” which calls for “Biyo-dhaamis” (water rationing) in most areas of the Somali Penisula.

Fortunately,  Somali pasturialists have now armies of their urban educated kins/compatriots in the cities in their Nativeland  or abroad among the diaspora, on whom they are counting for help in combatting with this enemy. The irony is, however,  that most of that Urban Class,  do not know much about  the way of  live of their Nomadic Kins,  nor the climate and the  conditions that  cause or complicate  the Abaar and Biyo-dhaamis.

This article is an attempt to inform and explain about  the subject of  which I do not have an indepth knowledge (I have only what I gathered from old folks, durng my childhood excursions in Haud), hoping that someone, perhaps, Geologist or a hydrologost or a climatologist, will come to my aid and explain better and further.

The "Gu" season is the season when most of  rains fall in all areas of Somaliland. The “Gu "as the major rainy season has more rains, more of the torrential type and is more reliable than " Deyr", the  minor rainy season.

The Gu brings rains in a period of 2-4 months as follows:

The “Toddob” rains may come early Spring by March, though that does not happen quite often. “Tododb” has been, traditionally, the hope and prayer in the heart of every Nomad, facing the harsh winter.

Once the Toddob rains come, it generally makes sure that the other sets of rains follow in its heel : Daydo, Sayrmadwaydo and Cawl. Thus the benefits of Toddob rains to the land, people and animals last for many years.  Toddob is not something to relay on as it comes only occasionally.

The Second set of Gu rains is “Daydo” (meaning the tester). These rains are usually the “Hogol”type, short showers that cover short distances. They are reliable and most of the time come as a sign of the “Gu” coming.)

The third type of the set of “Gu” rains is Sayrma Waydo rains. They are the crux of the Gu. They are reliable, heavy torrential typical of the Gu. They are  the “Gudgude or Mire Rains” meaning “Night Movers” that pull a blanket of  clouds with thunder storms over Somaliland skies mainly at night.  They come late April through May and flood everywhere, creating potholes and stopping traffic sometimes for days or weeks.  The Gud-gude as condensation from the Indian Ocean usually comes from East, North East or South East (Dhool  Bari ka soo baxay …… ama Fadka Bari kasoo baxay. It travels  fast over long distances and may reach Central Somaliland and Haud sometimes in the morning as “Mayay” (meaning morning rain). In this case it may lose steam that is the wind power that is propelling and become “Circadaa”: laden clouds that will remain almost stationary over an area, not moving until they completely melt down and their last drop is on the ground.

The fourth set of rains is the “ Dirirka Cawl”, usually evening showers coming from the North (Condensation from Redsea cooling over Golis and Surad Ranges) an moving south to Oogo. They are the not-so-strong showers that signal the end of the Gu, starting early June. They  give way to the “Karan” rains of the Xagaa season that only showers the Golis Range and the nearby Ogo specially in the Western half of Somaliland (West of Berbera-Buroa-Wardheere Highway).

“Dayr” is the minor rainy season. It is short in duration (September-October) and its rains are more of the short shower  type. The Deyr is also unreliable and its failure is, among other things, the cause of deadly Abaar and Biyo-dhaamis.

The  two dry seasons may also surprise  us with downpour once a while. The bad guy, Winter Seasonal, may occasionally show  some mercy with its “Xays rains” a sort of  light showers that will not create the  floods and deluge of the “Gu”  torrential rains or the nice and neat streams of water that his sister, the Deyr is known for. The “Xays”  is similar in some ways to the “Xaggaayo”. The difference is in  the season and the location but the substances is the same. The Xays comes in the winter and mainly rain in Guban Region of Northern Somaliland  while the “Xaggaayo” is Summer  Rains that come to South Eastern coast of the Somali Peninsula /Horn of Africa (Benaadir and nearby regions)

The  Xays rains may come without notice in the dead of the winter. But it will not give waters we can collect and save. It is good only for its shade of clouds shielding the cruel son and the fact that it gives some moisture to  some highly sensitive plants and tricks them into blooming, believing mistakenly,  that the winter is over.

Let’s all be prepared for  a winter without ” Xays” and a spring without “Todob”, while praying for Allah  to grant us the opposite, in his bountiful mercy.

Rabbow Roob Badan
Oo Rammaaskiyo
Rayska  soo roga
Noogu roonow ……. Aamin …. Aamin

Ahmed Doobbaje
Toronto, Canada
E-mail: qotonshe@yahoo.ca

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