UFFFS — Uganda's AI Flash-Flood Forecasting System Launches in Kampala, First of a Five-City East African Pilot

Uganda faces recurring urban flash flooding in Kampala and other towns, with warning systems that have historically been limited. In March-April 2026, the Ministry of Water and Environment's Department of Meteorology, working with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Dutch hydrology specialists HKV and Deltares, launched the Urban Flash Flood Forecasting System (UFFFS) in Kampala — the first live deployment of a five-city pilot also covering Addis Ababa, Juba, Khartoum and Kigali, funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs under its "Water at the Heart of Climate Action" and "Early Warnings for All" programmes.
UFFFS combines the PySTEPS machine-learning nowcasting algorithm with satellite rainfall estimates, automatic weather-station and radar data, and SFINCS hydrodynamic flood modelling to generate impact-based warnings that account for drainage and terrain, not just rainfall volume. A technical workshop held in Kampala on 23-25 March 2026 trained more than 20 meteorological and hydrological staff from the five countries, and the system was launched for operational use on 8 April 2026.
As of the sources reviewed, no forecast-accuracy, lead-time or avoided-damage figures have yet been published; the system is newly operational rather than independently evaluated. Ugandan officials themselves flagged limited monitoring infrastructure and inadequate equipment as ongoing risks to effectiveness. Uganda's Ministry has announced a roadmap to extend the system next to Fort Portal, Kasese, Gulu and Mbale.

Read the full analysis: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/govt-rolls-out-real-time-flood-detection-app-to-boost-early-warnings-5417390