Open AccessClimatic zoning of Ghana using selected meteorological variables for the period 1976–2018
Author(s) -
Bessah Enoch,
Amponsah William,
Ansah Samuel Owusu,
Afrifa Andrews,
Yahaya Bashiru,
Wemegah Cosmos Senyo,
Tanu Michael,
Amekudzi Leonard K.,
Agyare Wilson Agyei
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
meteorological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1469-8080
pISSN - 1350-4827
DOI - 10.1002/met.2049
Subject(s) - zoning , urbanization , cluster (spacecraft) , geography , climatology , population , physical geography , environmental science , climate change , altitude (triangle) , mathematics , demography , ecology , biology , geology , geometry , sociology , political science , computer science , law , programming language
Periodic climate zoning is an essential classification of land cover to account for anthropogenic activities resulting from population increase and urbanization that affect key climate response parameters. Rainfall, relative humidity (RH), maximum (T max ) and minimum temperature (T min ) data from the Ghana Meteorological Agency were used to zone Ghana by adopting cluster and PCA analysis methods and verifying the groupings with the seasonal trend and Tukey Honestly Significance Difference (HSD) analysis. The cluster analysis grouped the synoptic stations into four major homogenous clusters while the PCA distributed them into three sub‐divisions with reference to 1976–2018. Rainfall, RH, T max and T min were characterized by five, three, two and three factors with factor loadings in the range of 0.71–0.78, 0.53–0.70, 0.54–0.74 and 0.50–0.72, respectively. HSD found transition stations like Bole and Kete Krachi in cluster 1 and 2 to have no significant difference with cluster 1, while Wenchi, Sunyani, Sefwi Bekwai and Koforidua in cluster 2 had no significant difference with cluster 3. Accra station which was classified in cluster 3 showed the seasonal pattern of cluster 4 and was confirmed by HSD to belong in cluster 4. Therefore, Ghana‐based on‐point analysis is climatically grouped into Savannah (11°0′0′′N–7°46′11′′N), Forest (from 7°46′11′′N to the coast) and Coastal (about 30 km from the Gulf of Guinea coastline) based on the assessed parameters. These findings are vital for planners and decision‐makers especially for industries that depend on weather and climatic conditions for their activities.