Authorities in Tambacounda, Senegal, have raised a red alert after a dramatic surge in water levels along the River Gambia sparked fears of potential flooding.
On the morning of August 4, 2025, measurements at the Diaguiri station—located upstream of Mako—showed the water level had risen to 2.74 metres, up from 1.96 metres just a day earlier. This marks a sharp 78-centimetre increase in only 24 hours and is significantly higher than the 1.38 metres recorded on the same date last year.
At Afia Pont (Thiokoye), the last recorded reading from August 3 showed the water level at 1.96 metres—close to the 2 metres observed this time last year. While data from other key monitoring points such as Diahra Pont, Goumbayel, and Niokolo-Koba was still pending, the sharp rises elsewhere have already alarmed experts.
In Kédougou, the river climbed from 3.69 metres to 3.85 metres within a day, a 16-centimetre rise compared to just 2.55 metres on the same date in 2024. Although the official flood alert threshold is 7 metres, the rapid pace of the increase is worrying.
The most striking change was at Simenti station, where levels jumped from 3.99 metres to 4.80 metres in just one day—an 81-centimetre spike. While this remains far from the 13-metre alert level, the speed of the rise is prompting urgent monitoring.
Similar upward trends have also been recorded in Mako and Gouloumbou, heightening concerns about the weeks ahead.
