The harmattan season is here again, and already, some Ghanaians have started 2018 badly. For my brothers and sisters in the Northern regions where this season brings a lot of irritating and bad feelings in the nostrils and hot water becomes cold in minutes, your guess is as good as mine; harmattan is just a NO! NO! NO!
However, the harmattan season could be that perfect time to love and enjoy Ghana more, you know? Let’s first touch a little bit on harmattan and then I tell you how exciting the season can get, shall we?
Harmattan, also known as the North-East trade winds is a season experienced in West Africa between the end of November and March. It is mostly associated with very dry and dusty winds that blow from the Sahara Desert over West Africa to the Gulf of Guinea. The name harmattan was derived from the Ga word Haramatta. Ga is a language spoken along the coastal belt of Ghana.
Now let me give you five reasons why you should experience harmattan in Ghana:
- Night life is just amazing!: the weather can get as hot as 30 Degrees Celsius during afternoons and 9 Degrees Celsius at night. It is a perfect time to stay indoors doing whatever you have to do and come out at night to have some mad fun. Lots of night clubs, pubs, lounges, beer bars, just name it are 100 percent operational during these periods and you meet lots and lots of people. Night life lovers couldn’t have wished for more.
- You sweat less during this season: hey ladies, if you love make ups this season loves you more! Lol! You can wear all those expensive make ups with less worry of it wearing off. It’s also a great time for perfume lovers. Apply those expensive fragrances and worry less about how long it lasts.
- Fruits are in abundance: pawpaw, oranges, pineapples and watermelon can easily be purchased at very low prices. It’s in so much abundance, you can virtually get them in traffic. Its good news for fruit lovers, isn’t it?
- Shea Butter: Due to its oily nature when applied on the skin, Shea Butter helps to Keep the skin moist and also provides the skin with essential fatty acids and nutrients necessary for collagen production during the dry season. Within this season, there is a boosting purchase of shea butter thus providing a hike in source of income for traders.
- There’s that urge to drink more water: the season is dry, so dry that every bone in you craves for fluids, preferably water. Water is so essential to the human body. Your body needs it badly for good health. So while you quench your thirst, you keep your body healthy. It’s a WIN, WIN, you know?
An Airplane on a Terminal During the Harmattan Season 
- Less cases of malaria: gutters get dry and there are less or no stagnant waters around. Mosquitoes have less breeding grounds and as such malaria cases drop drastically. You don’t have to worry about spending on malaria treatment.
If you haven’t experienced harmattan in Ghana, you are missing a lot. Come around when you have the time. You will love it.
FUN FACTS:
- The word harmattan is traced from the Ga word “harabata”. The Ga language is spoken in Ghana.
- The harmattan season is exclusive to West African countries.
- Temperature gets as low as 9 Degrees Celsius and as high as 30 Degrees Celsius.
