Coast residents told to brace for heavy rains

The coastal region will experience heavy rains for the next four days, the weatherman has said.

The Kenya Meteorological Department, in its latest seven-day forecast covering the period between September 19 and 25, says the coastal strip will receive heavy rainfall of between 20mm and 50mm from Wednesday through Thursday.

The rains are expected to subside from Friday.

WEATHER PATTERNS
The coastal strip covers Mombasa, Tana River, Kilifi, Lamu and Kwale counties.

On Tuesday, the department’s assistant director, Mr Samwel Mwangi, said Kwale and Mombasa had already started receiving heavy rainfall.

This, he said, is expected to spread towards the North Coast starting Wednesday.

“When we witness a significant shift in weather patterns, we always give a warning. This is in line with the one we issued on Monday about the heavy rains in the coastal strip,” he said.

SUNNY
Mr Mwangi said more regions were likely to receive rainfall, although not heavy as at the Coast.

“The highlands west of the Rift Valley, highlands east of the Rift Valley including Nairobi and parts of the northwest are also likely to receive rainfall on a number of days,” he said.

Kisii, Nyamira and Trans Nzoia counties are in the highlands west of the Rift Valley while Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi, Laikipia, Nakuru, Narok, Kajiado, Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia counties are on the east.

The weatherman further said the Lake Victoria Basin, covering Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori counties, is expected to continue experiencing mainly sunny intervals in the morning throughout the forecast period, with the possibility of morning rains on Thursday and Friday.

CLOUDY
Central highlands region, including Nairobi area, are expected to have cloudy mornings accompanied by rains in a few places up to Thursday.

The cloudy mornings will then give way to sunny intervals before afternoon showers kick in in a few places.

This region consists of Nairobi, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu and Tharaka-Nithi counties.

According to the weatherman, the North Eastern counties of Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Isiolo are also likely to experience rains over a few places near Garissa and Moyale on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

DAMAGE
In the South Eastern counties of Kitui, Makueni, Machakos and Taita-Taveta, there will be mainly sunny intervals the whole day throughout the forecast period.

North Western counties of Turkana, West Pokot and Samburu are expected to have sunny intervals throughout the day for much of the forecast period.

Meanwhile, heavy rains on Tuesday damaged homes and other property in parts of Gusii region.

Mr Abel Morang’a, a resident of Igare town, said most rivers were full and some had broken their banks.