Question

What accounts for the two precipitation peaks in mbandaka?

Answer 1

The two precipitation peaks in Mbandaka during March to April and September to November is due to the intertropical convergence zone.

Intertropical convergence zone is a narrow zone located near the equator. It is where the northern and southern air masses intersect which results to low atmospheric pressure. Due to the intertropical convergence zone’s meeting of air masses, often times the air pressure are lower which will results to colder air, or even rainfall during the period of March to April, and most especially September to November in Mbandaka.

Since Mbandaka is located at the cented of Tumba-Ngiri-Maindombe area, which is named as a Wetland of International importance, there is really a bigger chance that this place experience above 60mm precipitation in a year, temperatures averaging from 23 – 26 degrees Celsius.