Crops · dekad 2026-08-11

Ghana

Ghana is 11th most stressed of 26 observations for this point in the season, and rose over this window, ranking 14th of 26 by fall steepness, from the 22nd highest starting level of those 26. None of its 10 crop regions is at a record low on the measure that adds up the whole season, marked below, which is also the slowest of them to move.

No crop region in Ghana is at its worst in 26 years for this point in the season.

Three instruments, 10 regions, one day. Each region against its own 26 years, never against another region.

Vegetation, current

0 of 10 regions at their own record

Ghana: 0.06 standard deviations below normal

Central. 8th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Upper West. 2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Western. 5th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Brong Ahafo. 9th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Northern. 12th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Upper East. 9th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Volta. 26th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Greater Accra. 17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Eastern. 20th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Ashanti. 21st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Water satisfaction

0 of 10 regions at their own record

Ghana: 95% of crop water need met, normally 93%

Central. 23rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Upper West. 17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Western. 19th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Brong Ahafo. 22nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Northern. 11th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Upper East. 17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Volta. 23rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Greater Accra. 19th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Eastern. 7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Ashanti. 24th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Rainfall, 3-month

0 of 10 regions at their own record

Ghana: 0.65 standard deviations above normal

Central. 23rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Upper West. 4th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Western. 21st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Brong Ahafo. 21st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Northern. 24th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Upper East. 24th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Volta. 22nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Greater Accra. 21st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Eastern. 15th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Ashanti. 24th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Colour
at this region's normalfar below
Outline
A heavy outline is that region's worst in 26 years. Different facts: a region can be dark without an outline, meaning far from normal but it has been worse, or outlined without being darkest, a record but a narrow one.
One scale, three instruments
Every panel saturates at 2.5 standard deviations below that region's own normal, so a colour means the same distance-from-normal on all three. It does not mean the same consequence: these measure different things and move at different speeds. The figures under each heading stay in the instrument's own units.

A fourth instrument is not shown here. Cumulative vegetation, the crop-outcome measure closest to yield, reads 6th of 26 for this country with no region at a record. It integrates from the start of the season, so it is structurally the last to move and reads calmest exactly when a fast deterioration is under way. It is left off the panels to keep three maps comparable in kind; it is on the page in full below.

Vegetation, cumulativethe harvest measure0of 10
Vegetation, current0of 10
Water satisfaction0of 10
Rainfall, 3-month0of 10
Temperature6of 10

What moved, and when

Each square is one dekad, and its shade shows how many of this country’s crop regions stood at their own worst on record for that point in the season. Rows are ordered by how much time each instrument summarises, shortest first, because a shorter window can move sooner. That order is fixed and is the same on every country page.

Vegetation, currentthis dekad
Soil moisturethis dekadalready elevated when this window opens, so nothing here shows when it began
Temperaturethis dekad
Rainfall, 3-monththe past 3 months
Vegetation, cumulativethe season so far, from sowing
Water satisfactionthe season so far, as a water balance
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
none at a recordone regionfewer than a thirda third to three quartersmost or alltoo few regions reporting to saynot reported
What connects these rows

Nothing we can show. The driver is not identified here. This section says what moved and when. It never says because.

These 23 dekads were picked rather than derived. A shorter window changes which peak looks like the first, and a sequence visible inside a window may not exist outside it.

How bad is it, against this country’s own record

Five instruments read together our combination, not an observation

11th worst of 26 years at this point in the season

The 11th most stressed of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026, across 5 instruments read together

202620012026

What the instruments say

The canopy is in its worst third, while water satisfaction and rainfall are in their best third.

Each track is that instrument’s own 26 years, worst on the left.

Vegetation, cumulative-0.406th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.148th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction95%21st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.4722nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.8 °C3rd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Five instruments, each against its own 26 years for this point in the season. They are shown together because they can disagree: a region can sit at a record low on vegetation while water or rainfall sits in its best third. 38 of the 196 regions at a record low on current vegetation have water or rainfall sitting in its own best third at the same moment, about one in five. This page reports where each one sits and does not say what caused what.

Every region of Ghana, worst to least

Each bar is the full spread of that region’s previous 25 years at this point in the season. The dot is this year. A dot at the left of a wide bar and a dot at the left of a narrow bar are different findings, which is why the history is drawn rather than described.

its normalworsebetterWesternCentralUpper WestBrong AhafoNorthernUpper EastVoltaGreater AccraEasternAshanti

Regions in colour are at their worst on record. The rest are placed on the same scale so a single deep region inside an otherwise ordinary country reads differently from a country where the whole distribution has moved.

Western

-0.89 4th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.894th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-1.005th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction94%19th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.7821st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature25.0 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Central

-0.85 4th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.854th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.618th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction94%23rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.9423rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature24.8 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Upper West

-0.83 4th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.834th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-1.152nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction97%17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.704th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.7 °C2nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Brong Ahafo

-0.66 5th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.665th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.169th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction94%22nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.3321st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.8 °C8th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Northern

-0.48 6th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.486th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.1012th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction95%11th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.6024th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.9 °C3rd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Upper East

-0.39 6th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.396th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.209th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction99%17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.6324th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature26.4 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Volta

+0.17 17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.1717th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.5826th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction97%23rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.6422nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.5 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Greater Accra

+0.26 19th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.2619th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.2817th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction93%19th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.6821st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.6 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Eastern

+0.73 25th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.7325th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.3520th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction88%7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.0515th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.3 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Ashanti

+0.85 26th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.8526th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.5121st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction96%24th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.9624th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature24.6 °C5th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

This measurement is of the crop canopy and not of what stressed it: heat, drought, disease and late planting are not separable here, which is why no claim on this page names a cause.

Kristjan Lepik (2026). The Long Swell, Crops. thelongswell.com