Rain Expected in Several Counties, Kenya Met Warns Of Strong Winds

Kenyans in various parts of the country should expect rain on Monday, while other areas will see cool, cloudy weather and gusty winds, according to the latest update from the Kenya Meteorological Department.

Rainfall is expected in Uasin Gishu, Bungoma, Nakuru, Kericho, Kakamega, Trans-Nzoia, Vihiga, Bomet, Nandi, Meru, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Mombasa, Kwale, Lamu, Nyamira, Embu, Murang’a, Nyeri and Nyandarua counties.

Nairobi residents in Westlands, Dagoretti South, Dagoretti North, Kibra and Lang’ata can expect light showers, while the rest of the city will see cloudy skies giving way to sunny spells, with a chance of light rain here and there. Temperatures in the capital are expected to top out at around 22°C.

Meanwhile, cool and cloudy weather will linger on and off in Embu, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Laikipia, Meru, Murang’a, Nairobi, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Tharaka-Nithi, Kitui, Machakos, Kajiado and Makueni counties.

The weatherman has also flagged strong winds — blowing from the south to southeast at speeds exceeding 25 knots (about 12.5 metres per second) — over Marsabit, Isiolo, Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Tana River, Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu and Kitui counties.

At the same time, counties considered most vulnerable have been told to get their anticipatory action plans running ahead of the El Niño rains expected later in the year.

Among them are Homa Bay, Kisumu and Nakuru, where water levels are already climbing in several lakes, including Lake Victoria, Lake Turkana, Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, Lake Elementaita, Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru.

Met department officials say these counties need to brace for the worst as they prepare for what could be a particularly wet October-November-December short rains season, driven by El Niño conditions.

They’ve also cautioned that the rains could cause lakes to back up, which in turn could displace people living nearby.

Speaking at a webinar on how the rains could affect the country, Misiani Zachary, a Disaster Risk Management and Anticipatory Action Expert at the Kenya Met Department, explained that the combination of a strong El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole could intensify rainfall and bring the season forward, potentially starting with heavy downpours that trigger flash floods in different parts of the country.

He singled out Lake Victoria and Lake Naivasha as being particularly at risk of water backflow.

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