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Torrential rainfall triggered severe flooding across Ghana’s capital, Accra, on Monday, leaving at least three people dead, disrupting transport and rescue operations, and prompting renewed concerns over climate change.
Authorities said about 140 millimetres of rain fell within a day, nearly three times last year’s peak rainfall and the highest recorded in several years.
President John Mahama attributed the worsening floods partly to changing climate conditions but said human activities had also contributed significantly.
Mahama said attempts by the government to remove buildings constructed on waterways often faced resistance, despite the risks posed by such developments.
“That aspect of the problem is beyond our control because it is driven by changing climatic conditions,” he said on X (formerly Twitter)
The amount of rainfall recorded today is among the highest experienced in several years. Preliminary data indicates that approximately 140 millimetres of rain fell on Accra. By comparison, the highest single-day rainfall recorded last year was about 56 millimetres.
That aspect… pic.twitter.com/mD9GESrVB8
— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) June 29, 2026
But he also warned of “the issue of human behaviour”.
“Whenever government begins removing structures built in waterways, some people accuse us of being inhumane,” he said.
“Yet when disasters such as today’s flooding occur, the consequences affect everyone.”
Emergency responders and local volunteers rescued at least 15 children and an infant by boat in the eastern suburb of Tse Addo after floodwaters submerged homes.
Local authorities confirmed that a man in his 60s died in the low-lying Alajo district, while local journalists reported two additional deaths after floodwaters came into contact with electrical wiring inside a house.
The Ministry of the Interior urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel as police, military personnel and firefighters were deployed to assist rescue efforts across affected communities.
Residents described widespread destruction, with homes, businesses and vehicles damaged by the floods.
Retired journalist Philip Mensah said floodwaters had inundated his home, destroying his collection of vinyl records accumulated since the 1970s. Schoolteacher Patience Naa Adjeley Adjei also said she had repeatedly tried to clear water from her room but remained trapped as both her home and surrounding streets were flooded.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency warned that rain-bearing clouds were expected to persist over southeastern Ghana before moving westward later on Monday, raising the likelihood of further flooding.
