Sarah Roffe – The Conversation

A man pours water on his head to cool off in Algiers, during a heat wave on 18 July 2023. AFP via Getty Images

July 20, 2023

Surviving heat waves in Africa – three essential reads

Temperature records are being broken in Africa and around the world.

When cold weather sets in there are several ways to keep yourself warm. NickyLloyd/Getty Images

May 10, 2023

South Africa’s cold weather has arrived – some tips on how to stay warm and safe

Adriaan Van Der Walt, University of the Free State; Jennifer Fitchett, University of the Witwatersrand, and Sarah Roffe, Agricultural Research Council

Climate systems which drive anomalously cold weather will still cause cold extreme events into the 21st century.

Being too hot isn’t just uncomfortable: it can be dangerous. Angel DiBilio/Shutterstock

January 26, 2023

Heat stress is rising in southern Africa – climate experts show where and when it’s worst

Sarah Roffe, Agricultural Research Council; Adriaan Van Der Walt, University of the Free State, and Jennifer Fitchett, University of the Witwatersrand

Simply put, southern Africans are experiencing heat stress more often than in 1979.

Southern Africa’s summer rainfall regions currently experiencing the wet-season will likely continue having wetter than normal conditions. SimpleImages/Getty Images

February 7, 2022

Southern Africa’s summer has been wetter than normal: here’s why

Sarah Roffe, University of the Free State

Southern Africa’s current above-average rainfall is a climate variability signal - a short-term fluctuation in average wet-season conditions.

Brewing thunderstorm in the dessert area of the Karoo in South Africa. Shutterstock

October 13, 2020

Changes in South Africa’s rainfall seasons could affect farming and water resources

Sarah Roffe, University of the Witwatersrand and Jennifer Fitchett, University of the Witwatersrand

Trends across the different rainfall zones can be linked to changes recorded for large-scale climate systems.

There needs to be a more systematic approach to classifying rainfall seasonality in South Africa. Shutterstock

February 5, 2019

Scientists split on South Africa’s winter and summer rainfall zones

Jennifer Fitchett, University of the Witwatersrand; Chris Curtis, University of the Witwatersrand, and Sarah Roffe, University of the Witwatersrand

There are regions in South Africa where it hasn’t been established if the rainy season is in summer or winter.

Contact Sarah for