At least 13 people are dead after catastrophic flash flooding struck Ghana’s capital Accra, following one of the most intense rainfall events the city has recorded. The rain is not finished.
Around 140 mm (5.5 in) of rain fell on Accra in a single overnight period, Sunday June 28 into the early hours of Monday June 29. By 6 a.m., the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) was recording heavy downpours across the capital. By 8 a.m., the city was overwhelmed. President John Mahama noted that the highest single-day rainfall recorded in Accra last year was approximately 56 mm (2.2 in), making this event roughly 2.5 times that previous peak.
Massive Flooding Hits Accra, Ghana 🇬🇭 (29.06.2026) pic.twitter.com/0x2MtL6RVv
— Disaster News (@Top_Disaster) June 29, 2026
GMet’s threshold for urban flooding in Accra is now just 30 mm (1.2 in) of rain. The agency has forecast very high rainfall totals for June 29 and 30, with June 30 alone potentially bringing 150 to 175 mm (6 to 7 in) accompanied by thunderstorms, as a significant storm system approaches from the east.
This event did not arrive without warning. GMet issued a nationwide advisory as early as June 13, flagging heavy rains, strong winds, and a nationwide flash flooding risk. Principal Meteorologist Nana Kofi Opoku had told The Ghanaian Times that the rainy season in southern Ghana was expected to intensify toward the end of May, with coastal communities including Accra and surrounding areas likely to record some of the heaviest rainfall in the country. He identified Greater Accra, Central, Ashanti, and Eastern regions as high-risk zones for heavy downpours, flash floods, and strong storms, particularly between June and early July. Although the overall seasonal outlook pointed to near-normal to below-normal rainfall nationally, Opoku cautioned that distribution could be highly uneven, producing sudden and intense downpours in localised areas. The preceding Sunday’s rains, which had already left parts of Sakumono, sections of the Ramsar site, Klagon, Pokuase, and Adjiriganor flooded, were described by GMet as a signal of what the peak season could bring. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center corroborated this pattern, recording above-average rainfall of 50 to 150 mm (2 to 6 in) across southern and western Ghana throughout June, with multiple flood incidents documented in the region during the month.
In northern Ghana, rainfall is expected to remain generally low to moderate, though parts of the Upper East Region may see above-average totals. Flood-prone communities within the Volta Basin and low-lying urban centres remain particularly vulnerable.
Kaneshie became a lake where taxis once floated past traders. Odawna disappeared under brown water smelling of plastic and mud. Adabraka, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Graphic Road, all of it turned to river in real time. Buses stalled mid-road, passengers seated, feet in water. Market stalls that took years to build floated away by the hour.
Terrible flooding in Weija, Accra Region, Ghana today.. pic.twitter.com/WJy1wzQ81E
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) June 29, 2026
The worst-affected areas span the breadth of the capital: the N1 Highway, Apenkwa toward Tesano, Adabraka, the Accra-Kasoa corridor, Weija, Afienya, Mallam, Gbawe, Spintex Road, Atomic in Madina, Kaneshie, Darkuman Junction, and parts of Tse Addo. Schools did not open. A tailor reached by phone described opening her door to find her sewing machines floating. Her fabrics. Her customers’ wedding dresses for Saturday. “The water is at my waist before I reach my door,” she said, voice breaking over the sound of rain.
A rubber factory fire broke out, triggered by floodwaters. Power utilities GRIDCo and the Electricity Company of Ghana shut down supply to multiple substations due to damage to electrical infrastructure.
Casualties and emergency response
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) confirmed at least 13 deaths, with the toll expected to rise. More than 470 people were rescued by the GNFS. Emergency responders from the police, the military, GNFS, and the National Disaster Management Organisation were deployed across the capital. President Mahama conducted an aerial survey of the city on Monday and ordered the immediate demolition of all illegal structures built on waterways. The government advised residents to call 112, avoid all floodwater crossings, and relocate to higher ground. Power to flood-affected substations was cut as a precautionary measure.
GMet is working closely with NADMO and local authorities to coordinate response. Weather updates and warnings are being shared through radio, television, SMS, social media, and community networks. The agency has also strengthened its early warning systems through satellite monitoring, real-time weather tracking, and improved forecasting tools.
Credit: Ghanian News Portal
Volta Region: a second front
Three hundred kilometres (186 miles) from Accra, the Volta Region is bracing. In Anloga District, floodwater crept in overnight and all 48 communities are on alert, including Galo-Sota, Azanu, Devenu, Agortoe, and Shime, where levels are rising.
The region carries fresh trauma. The 2023 Akosombo and Kpong dam spillage left 35,857 people displaced, with at least 12,000 in the Volta Region alone. The government released GH¢200 million to resettle 2,803 houses across North, South, and Central Tongu. UNFPA and WFP are still distributing dignity kits and cash assistance in Adidome and North Tongu. For many families, a school classroom is still home.
Accra’s drainage infrastructure was designed to 1960s specifications, far below the rainfall intensities now arriving regularly. The city’s population has surpassed four million (WHO), much of it built across former wetlands and waterways. Kaneshie, Alajo, Adenta, Weija, Tema, and Ashaiman have been specifically identified by GMet as high-risk zones due to poor drainage systems and rapid urbanisation. “What we are witnessing in Accra is not an isolated weather event,” said WaterAid Ghana director Ewurabena Yanyi-Akofur, “but part of a pattern intensified by climate change and rapid, unplanned urbanisation.” The comparable 2015 Accra floods, which triggered a petrol station explosion, killed 150 people.
What must happen, and urgently
The demand is not later. Stop approving construction in waterways; when relocation must happen, do it with dignity, notice, and compensation first. Redesign drainage infrastructure to handle 150 mm (6 in) of rain, not 1960s specifications. Restore the wetlands that once gave water room to move. Clear plastic from gutters. Confront mining that chokes rivers. Map every flood zone. Desilt drains and clear waterways before the peak weeks ahead, as GMet has explicitly called for. Issue warnings in Twi, Ga, Ewe, and other local languages before the next cloud forms, not after. And when relief funds are released, let them reach the people waiting without delay and without obstruction.
