Articles | Volume 7, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-7-1425-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-7-1425-2026
Research article
 | 
19 Aug 2026
Research article |  | 19 Aug 2026

Synoptic drivers of the August 2024 record-breaking rainfall in the Chadian Sahara: dynamics, thermodynamics, and socio-economic consequences

Claudin Wamba Tchinda, Fréderic Saha, and Alain Tchio Tamoffo

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Cited articles

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Short summary
Northern Chad's hydro-climatic regime has shifted since 2003 from aridity to heavy rain, peaking in August 2024. This resulted from Hadley cell reorganization, pushing the convective band northward. The West African monsoon reached deeper, replacing Saharan subsidence with moisture from the Gulf of Guinea. This thermodynamic change boosted moist static energy, enabling vertical ascent. Coupled with easterly waves, this created immense rainfall, altering Lake Chad’s water balance.
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