Countries: Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo Source: Famine Early Warning System Network Please refer to the attached file. Key Messages• The Intertropical Front (ITF) continues its normal northward ascent, and remains above its climatological position (Figure 1).• Seasonal cumulative precipitation is mostly below average across the region, with some localized areas receiving above-average amounts (Figures 2&3).• In June, locust adult groups remained in Niger, while scattered adults were observed in Mauritania.Update on Seasonal Progress• The Intertropical Front (ITF) continues its normal northward progression and remains north of its climatological position along its entire length. Its dekadal average position during the second dekad of July varied between 19.4°N over the western (10°W-10°E) region, or about 0.8 degrees north of its climatological position, and 16.4°N in the eastern (20°E-35°E) region, or 0.1 degrees above the long-term average (Figure 1).• Seasonal cumulative rainfall (Figure 2) has been below-average to average over most of the region. Moderate to severe deficits were observed from April 1st to July 20th 2025, in northwestern and western Senegal, western and central Niger, northwestern Nigeria, eastern and southern Chad in the Sahelian band, central-western Nigeria, western and central Liberia, southwestern Côte d’Ivoire, southern Cameroon and in the SudanoGuinean and bimodal zones. However, it is still early in the season for these deficits to pose a concern for crop development in the Sahel.• In other parts of the region, rainfall conditions are average to above-average. As of now, the onset of the rainy season has occurred across the Sahel and northern Sudano-Guinean zones, with some localized areas experiencing delays of one to four dekads. Additionally, in the Sudano-Guinean and Sahelian zones, crop water requirements are generally being met.• Figure 3 shows that between 16th June and 15th July, the areas with severe rainfall deficits and dry spells of more than 11 days were limited to northwestern Senegal and northwestern Chad. Moreover, the combined estimated and forecasted rainfall from July 11th to August 5th, 2025, indicates that significant relief is expected over many of the areas mentioned above (Figure 4). However, the rainfall deficit is expected to persist during this period in northwestern Senegal. This may be a potential concern for crop performance in that area and will be closely monitored over the coming few weeks.• Regarding desert locust outbreaks, during June, adult groups remained in Niger, while scattered adults continued to be found in Mauritania.