During the period from April 21-30, 2008, the African portion of the Intertropical Front (ITF) was located at around 13.4 degrees north latitude, more than a degree north of 12.1 north, the normal. The position is significantly further north when compared to the same dekad of 2007 when the ITF was around 11.7 degrees north. Figure 1 shows the current position compared to normal, and the ITF is currently close to normal everywhere but in Sudan where it appears to be advancing much faster than normal. From Figures 2 and 3 it is clear that the ITF is near normal in the west, while north of normal in the east. The ITF is currently 13.4 degrees north in the west and 13.5 degrees north in the east Compared with the 1979-2006 mean of around 13.2 degrees north in the west, and a normal position of around 11.0N in the east.
Mean Position of the ITF
10 degrees west - 10 degrees east longitude
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0
Mar 1-10 Mar 11-20 Mar 21-31 April 1-10 April 11-20 April 21-30 May 1-10 May 11-20 May 21-31 Jun 1-10 Jun 11-20 Jun 21-30 Jul 1-10 Jul 11-20 Jul 21-31 Aug 1-10 Aug 11-20 Aug 21-31 Sep 1-10 Sep 11-20 Sep 21-30 Oct 1-10 Oct 11-20 Oct 21-31 Nov 1-10 Nov 11-20 Nov 21-30
Latitude (Degrees N)
2008 1979-2006
Mean Position of the ITF
20-35 degrees east longitude
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0
Mar 1-10 Mar 11-20 Mar 21-31 April 1-10 April 11-20 April 21-30 May 1-10 May 11-20 May 21-31 Jun 1-10 Jun 11-20 Jun 21-30 Jul 1-10 Jul 11-20 Jul 21-31 Aug 1-10 Aug 11-20 Aug 21-31 Sep 1-10 Sep 11-20 Sep 21-30 Oct 1-10 Oct 11-20 Oct 21-31 Nov 1-10 Nov 11-20 Nov 21-30
Latitude (Degrees N)
2008 1988-2007
Figure 1
Figure 3 Figure 2