August Turns Cold and Dusty As Kenya Met Flags Health, Transport Risks

Kenyans are being told to prepare for a rough patch of weather this month, one that mixes chilly mornings with dusty winds, foggy highland roads and water shortages in parts of the country already reeling from a dry spell.

According to the Kenya Met, the conditions expected through August, and likely lingering into September, will touch nearly every corner of daily life: health, transport, farming, water supply and even disaster preparedness. Widespread relief in the form of rain isn’t expected until October.

Health officials have particular reason to worry. Cool, chilly weather forecast over Nyandarua, Laikipia, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Nairobi is expected to fuel a rise in respiratory complaints, asthma flare-ups, pneumonia, flu and the usual wave of colds.

It won’t just be the cold causing trouble. Strong southerly and south-easterly winds, some topping 25 knots, are forecast to sweep intermittently through the Coast, and Kenya’s north-eastern, northern and eastern regions.

Deputy director and senior meteorologist Kennedy Thiong’o says that the combination of dry ground and gusty winds spells trouble for the country’s arid and semi-arid areas.

“In arid and semi-arid regions that are expected to remain dry, dust exposure driven by strong winds may aggravate respiratory problems and eye infections,” he said.

Oddly enough, August, usually one of Kenya’s coolest months, is shaping up warmer than average this year. Daytime highs will swing wildly depending on where you are: as low as 16°C in the Central Highlands, but climbing past 37°C in the north.

Nights won’t offer much relief in some places either; lows could dip to 5°C in the highlands while staying as warm as 26°C in the hottest northern counties.

There’s a silver lining for farmers in the west. Near-average to slightly below-average rainfall is expected across western Kenya, the North Rift and parts of the Rift Valley, which should actually help ongoing harvests.

But that’s cold comfort for regions still counting the cost of an extended dry spell earlier in the year; many are bracing for continued shortages of food, water, pasture and livestock browse after losing crops in previous months.

Drivers, meanwhile, have been told to slow down and stay alert. Fog is expected to blanket highland roads frequently this month, and Thiong’o didn’t mince words about the danger.

“Fog is likely to reduce visibility on roads that traverse highland areas, increasing the risk of road accidents and delays. In Kwale, Lamu, Mombasa, and Kilifi, intermittent rainfall may make roads slippery and affect construction activities,” he said.

The winds battering the Coast and northern Kenya aren’t just a driving hazard; they could disrupt marine transport and cause structural damage, from torn-off roofs to downed power lines.

Even air travel isn’t immune; fog is expected to occasionally disrupt operations at both Wilson Airport and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

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