Accra, the capital of Ghana, lies partially submerged after torrential rains from a tropical storm claimed at least 13 lives. The downpour, which began on Tuesday evening, overwhelmed drainage systems across the low-lying coastal city, triggering flash floods that swept through entire neighbourhoods. Rescue workers continue to search for missing persons amidst the wreckage of collapsed buildings and submerged vehicles. The British government has pledged £2 million in emergency aid and dispatched a team of disaster response experts, as meteorologists warn of a second, more powerful storm forming off the Atlantic coast.
The catastrophe is a stark reminder of how climate change amplifies extreme precipitation events. Warmer ocean surfaces increase evaporation rates, and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture. The latest climate models suggest that for every degree Celsius of warming, the atmosphere can hold approximately 7% more water. Ghana, like much of West Africa, is experiencing a trend toward more intense but less frequent rainfall events. The result is not more rain overall but more extreme, destructive downpours that urban infrastructure cannot handle.
Accra’s flooding is exacerbated by rapid, unplanned urbanisation. The city’s population has swelled from under a million in 1980 to over 5 million today, with many settlements built on floodplains or reclaimed wetlands. Impermeable surfaces such as roads and buildings prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground. Meanwhile, drainage channels are often clogged with solid waste, a chronic issue that engineers have struggled to address. The government has announced an immediate review of building regulations and a £50 million flood defence programme, but critics argue that such measures are reactive rather than preventive.
As the waters begin to recede, the focus shifts to the incoming storm, currently categorised as a tropical depression over the central Atlantic. Computer models project that it could strengthen into a tropical cyclone by the time it reaches the Ghanaian coast within 48 hours. The UK Meteorological Office, working with Ghana’s Hydrological Agency, has activated a joint monitoring system that provides real-time data on sea surface temperatures, wind shear, and atmospheric pressure. This level of international cooperation is essential for early warning systems that save lives.
However, such collaborations cannot substitute for fundamental changes in energy policy. The UK’s pledge of support, while welcome, is paradoxical given its continued investment in fossil fuel extraction. The country recently approved new oil and gas licences in the North Sea, locking in emissions that will contribute to further warming. The inconsistency between disaster relief financing and carbon-intensive policies undermines global efforts to reduce climate risks. True resilience requires de-escalating the root driver: greenhouse gas emissions.
For Ghana, the immediate priority is saving lives. The health risks from floodwaters are considerable, with waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid likely to surge. Stagnant pools also provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes carrying malaria and dengue. The UK aid will partially fund the distribution of water purification tablets and mosquito nets, as well as temporary shelter for the displaced. But as the second storm approaches, resources are stretched thin.
The scientific reality is that such events will become more frequent and severe without a rapid transition away from fossil fuels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest assessment projects that extreme precipitation will intensify across West Africa by 10-20% per degree of global warming. For Accra, a city already on the front lines, the only sustainable path is one that couples aggressive emissions reductions with climate-adaptive infrastructure. Every tonne of carbon avoided reduces the risk of another flood.
As I write this, the skies over Accra are grey, and the forecast reads ‘severe thunderstorms.’ The second storm is expected to make landfall near Takoradi, west of the capital, but its outer bands could bring additional flooding to saturated grounds. The Earth does not negotiate. It responds to physics. We have the tools to measure, model, and understand these changes. The question is whether we will act on the information before the next storm hits.
