-
Get to know the dedicated professionals behind our success -
Biography
Dr. Paul T. S. Limbu is a Senior Lecturer in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science at the Department of Physics, College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CoNAS), University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania. He holds a PhD and MSc in Meteorology from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, and a BSc (Ed) with honours from the University of Dar es Salaam. His research interests span a broad range of climate and atmospheric science disciplines, including climatology and climate variability, ocean-atmosphere interactions, climate change, data assimilation, regional climate modeling, and climate prediction and projection. He is highly experienced in both statistical and dynamical modeling approaches, and he integrates these techniques into research on climate impacts and adaptation strategies.
Over the years, Dr. Limbu has held various academic roles at UDSM, progressing from Tutorial Assistant to Assistant Lecturer, Lecturer, and currently Senior Lecturer. He also serves as Associate Chief Editor of the Tanzania Journal of Science and holds multiple administrative roles within CoNAS. These include Research, Innovation and Project Coordinator, Gender Focal Point, Deputy Website Coordinator, and Social Welfare Chairperson in the Department of Physics. He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Tanzania Meteorological Society, Tanzania Physical Society, and the Young Earth System Scientists (YESS) Community, and is a co-founder of Youth for Climate Action in Tanzania (Y4CA).
Dr. Limbu has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers focusing on rainfall variability, drought characteristics, temperature trends, and climate impacts across East Africa. His work includes studies on the influence of the East African Monsoon, ENSO, and the Indian Ocean Dipole on seasonal rainfall patterns. His research contributes significantly to national and regional efforts in climate resilience and planning. He has also actively participated in and coordinated numerous scientific conferences, workshops, and training sessions related to climate science, including those supported by IPCC, WCRP, and GHACOF. His commitment to advancing scientific understanding and enhancing the policy relevance of climate science in Tanzania and East Africa is both recognized and impactful.
Research Interest
a) Climatology and Climate Variability
b) Ocean-atmosphere interaction
c) Climate Change
d) Data assimilation
e) Regional Climate Modelling
f) Statistical and Dynamical Modelling
g) Climate prediction and Projection
Contacts
Email:
Projects
a) Two UDSM Research projects of the 5th Call for Proposals for Competitive Research
and Innovation Grants (2022/2023)
b) UDSM Research projects of the 4th Call for Proposals for Competitive Research and
Innovation Grants (2021/2022)
Publications
a) LL Kebacho, EK Makula, RJ Mangara, D Mbigi, ZF Mtewele, WP Kessy, PTS Limbu
(2025) Decadal shifts of the long rains in Tanzania and associated atmospheric circulation
anomalies around 1999, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 156 (3),1-19.
b) A Elimi, PTS Limbu (2024) Assessing the Variability of Heavy Rainfall Events during
Gu Rainfall Season in Somalia, Tanzania Journal of Science, 50 (5), 929-941.
c) LL Kebacho, EK Makula, PTS Limbu (2024) Spatio-temporal Trends and Change
Detection of Surface Air Temperature in Tanzania: October to April Season, Tanzania
Journal of Science, 50 (5), 942-960.
d) EK Makula, RJ Mangara, BK, D Mbigi, ZF Mtewele, LL Kebacho, WP Kessy, PTS
Limbu (2024) Assessment of drought characteristics using SPEI and VHI in Tanzania
and their associated climate factors, Natural Hazards (2024).
e) M Mhelezi, PTS Limbu (2024) Comparison of Meteorological Drought Indices in
Tanzania Using the Meteorological Drought Monitoring (MDM) Software Package,
Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology, 43 (1), 190-203.
f) MA Ojara, S Namumbya, BA Ogwang, PTS Limbu (2024) Regional and Farm Level
Droughts characteristics for Southwestern Uganda during 1981-2017, Soil Security,
100148.
g) BW Ongito, PTS Limbu (2023) Quantifying the Strength of the El Niño Southern
Oscillation and the Indian Ocean Dipole in Influencing the OND Rainfall Season in
Tanzania, Tanzania Journal of Science, 49 (5), 1110-1126
h) PTS Limbu, M Farah (2023) Assessing Spatio-temporal Variations and Trends of Rainfall
over Somalia from 1991 to 2020, Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology 42 (3),
189-200
i) PTS Limbu, K Makula (2023) Investigation of Temporal Trends and Spatial Patterns of
Extreme Temperatures and Their Relationship to Climate Circulation Indices in Tanzania,
Journal of the Geographical Association of Tanzania 43 (2), 67-85.
j) MA Umutoni, PTS Limbu (2023) Characteristics of Extreme Precipitation and Their
Effect on Bean Yield in Rwanda, Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology 41 (4)
k) MS Bile, PTS Limbu (2022) Spatiotemporal Variability of Drought and its Relationships
to ENSO and IOD Indices in Somaliland, Tanzania Journal of Science 48 (4), 816-831
l) MA Umutoni, LP Japheth, EJ Lipiki, LL Kebacho, PTS Limbu, EK Makula (2021)
Investigation of the 2016 March to May extreme rainfall over Rwanda, Natural Hazards,
1-12.
m) GM Kavishe, PTS Limbu (2020) Variation of October to December rainfall in Tanzania
and its association with sea surface temperature, Arabian Journal of Geosciences 13 (13),
1-16.
n) PTS Limbu, T Guirong (2020) Influence of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and its Walker
circulation cell on October–December rainfall variability over Tanzania, International
Journal of Climatology 40 (13), 5767-5782.
o) EK Makula, MA Umutoni, LP Japheth, EJ Lipik, L Kebacho, PTS Limbu (2020) The The
Covariability of Sea Surface Temperature and MAM Rainfall on East Africa Using
Singular Value Decomposition Analysis, Geographica Pannonica 24 (4).
p) PH King’uza, PTS Limbu (2020) Inter-annual Variability of March to May Rainfall over
Tanzania and Its association with Atmospheric circulation anomalies, Geographica
Pannonica 23 (3).
q) PTS Limbu, T Guirong (2019) Relationship between the October-December rainfall in
Tanzania and the Walker circulation cell over Indian Ocean, Meteorologische Zeitschrift
28 (6), 453-469.