Temporal Description of Annual Temperature and Rainfall in the Bawku Area of Ghana

With varied implications, Ghana’s temperature and rainfall are projected to rise and decline, respectively. A study exposing
specific areas of concern for appropriate responses in this regard is a welcome one. -is study sought to describe the temporal
variations in temperature and rainfall in the Bawku Area of Ghana. A forty-year (1976–2015) daily climate data was collected on
three meteorological stations from the Ghana Meteorological Agency. Normality test, homogeneity test, Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) analysis, Mann–Kendall trend test, and One-way post hoc ANOVA were performed using XLSTAT and
DrinC. Over the period under study, the mean annual rainfall pattern was generally erratic, fluctuating between 669.8 mm and
1339.4.6 mm with an annual average of 935.3 mm. -e long-term (40-year period) average temperature of the three stations, on
the other hand, was 28.7°C, varying between 26.9°C and 29.9°C annually. Whereas the SPI value of 2006 was ≥2.0, indicating
extremely wet year with 2.3% probability of recurring once every 50 years, 1988 was the hottest year with temperature anomaly
value of 1.2°C, while coolest years were 1979 (-1.8°C) and 1976 (-1.0°C). -e Mann–Kendall trend test showed a rise in rainfall in
Binduri, Garu-Tempane, and Manga, yet none of the rainfall changes were statistically significant (P>0.05). Mean temperature on
the other hand experienced a significant rise (P<0.05). With an R-square of 34.7%, the rise in temperature in Manga witnessed the
most significant change in annual temperature changes. -ere were statistically significant (P<0.05) differences in the interdecadal temperature over the 40-year period. Generally, it can be stated that both temperature and rainfall vary in the study area
with various degrees of disparities, but temperature assumes an upward trend at a faster rate. We therefore recommend that
stakeholders resort to the construction of dams and boreholes to ensure regular availability of water for both domestic and
agricultural uses.