Preparing for drought
Drought status
Summary
Tells how the rain over your village in the last 1, 3, 6 and 12 months compares with the 1991–2020 normal: near normal, dry or wet. Data CHIRPS v3.0 (~5 km), latest month October 2026. An estimate computed from satellite and station data; not an official drought declaration.
Rain over your village
How to read the result
- Last 1 and 3 months: short-term water in the soil and pasture; a first sign for sowing and livestock water plans.
- Last 6 months: the whole season; a hint whether ponds and small dams have filled.
- Last 12 months: long-term drought; it can take months to show in springs and wells.
Status names: 7 levels — extremely wet, very wet, moderately wet, near normal, moderately dry, severely dry, extremely dry. An estimate computed from satellite and station data; not an official drought declaration. For official records see Was drought declared?.
Method: standardised precipitation (SPI)CHIRPS v3.0 · base period 1991–2020
Measure: standardised precipitation index (SPI; McKee et al. 1993; WMO-No. 1090, 2012): for each cell and calendar month, a gamma distribution is fitted to the 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-month rain totals of the base period 1991–2020 (Thom 1958), with the share of zero-rain months counted separately; the chosen month's total is turned into a standard normal value (−3.09…3.09).
Levels (WMO-No. 1090): extremely wet 2.0 and above; very wet 1.5 – 1.99; moderately wet 1.0 – 1.49; near normal −0.99 – 0.99; moderately dry −1.0 – −1.49; severely dry −1.5 – −1.99; extremely dry −2.0 and below.
Resolution: 0.05° (~5 km); the village takes the value of its cell. Base period: 1991–2020. Latest month: October 2026 (preliminary data: October 2026; the final product arrives in the third week of the following month).
Limits: CHIRPS combines satellite measurement with stations; there are few stations in mountains and on coasts, so errors can grow. The measure only counts rain; evaporation, temperature, snow and water in dams are not included.
Source and attribution: CHIRPS v3.0, UCSB Climate Hazards Center, CC BY 4.0. Funk, C. et al. (2026), Scientific Data 13, 718, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07096-4. Computed by the site.
Related: Was drought declared? · Where does the rain go?