During the first three months of the season, most areas experienced normal to below-normal rainfall, as anticipated during the August 2024 Climate Experts Meeting by the MSD. The southern parts of the country, Matabeleland South, Bulawayo Metropolitan, Masvingo, and the southern parts of Manicaland, received slightly above average rainfall. Most of the precipitation occurred in November and the final ten days of December 2024. However, the dry spell in December negatively impacted the crops planted in November, leading to moisture stress. Some crops struggled to survive the prolonged drought and failed to establish properly. The rain in the last ten days of December provided much needed relief for many farmers, but those whose crops had failed had to begin replanting.