Expect heavy rains next month, says weatherman

The rains are coming. This is good news for millions of Kenyans grappling with the effects of the ongoing drought.

Weather forecasters Wednesday announced that heavy rains would start pounding the entire northern Kenya and other parts of the country as early as mid-September, when the short rains set in.

They also warned that many parts of the country would experience El Nino conditions.

However, the experts said the El Nino rains would not be as severe as the ones the country experienced in 1997 and 1998, resulting in deaths, flooding, landslides and massive destruction of infrastructure.

The forecasters led by the Kenya Meteorological Department director Joseph Mukabana listed the pastoralist areas set to enjoy the rains as Narok, Kajiado, Samburu, Baragoi, Ijara, Mandera, Elwak, Wajir, Garissa, Moyale, Marsabit, Lodwar and Lokichogio.

Improved pasture

The El Nino conditions, they said, would mainly be concentrated in Western and Nyanza provinces as well as parts of Rift Valley, North Eastern and the Coast.

Dr Mukabana said the rains would be conducive for agricultural activities and improved pasture conditions.

But he also warned that the heavy rains would interfere with the harvesting season in the country’s bread basket districts of Uasin Gishu and Kitale, besides causing mudslides, flooding and lightning in parts of the country.

The rests of the country, including much of Rift Valley, Nairobi, Eastern and Central provinces would experience moderate rainfall between October and December, the weathermen predicted.

“The main catchment areas for the country’s hydroelectric power generating dams are expected to receive adequate rainfall,” he stated.