Unusual cold weather chills coastal Kenya

Tourists at Whitesands Beach Resort in Mombasa in a past picture. Coast residents are bracing themselves for colder-than-normal weather as temperatures in Mombasa County plunged to 19.8° C on July 12, 2016. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kenya Meteorological Department deputy director Samuel Mwangi attributed the cold weather to surface water over the western Indian Ocean off the Kenya and Somali Coast becoming cooler than average.
  • The meteorological official advised residents to ensure that children and elderly people put on warm clothes to shield themselves against the cold weather.

Coast residents are bracing themselves for colder-than-normal weather as temperatures in Mombasa County on Monday dropped to 19.8° Celsius.

According to county director of meteorological services Lydia Inoti, temperatures in Mombasa on Monday morning dropped from an average minimum of 25°C to a low of 19.8°C.

Kenya Meteorological Department deputy director Samuel Mwangi attributed the cold weather to surface water over the western Indian Ocean off the Kenya and Somali Coast becoming cooler than average.

He said: “Winds blowing over these waters are modified and hence feel cooler especially when there are strong winds.”

However, Mr Mwangi explained that this is the season of strong winds at the Coast, adding that normally during July the weather across the region gets cold.

The weatherman said Coast residents will continue to experience the cold spell through the end of August before the return of normal warm weather in September.

Ms Inoti said weather forecasts indicated that temperatures in Mombasa had dropped to an average of 19.8° Celsius.

“Since the beginning of this month, the temperatures in Mombasa have been ranging at between 25°C and 26°C.
“But today morning, the temperatures were at a low of 19.8°C, which is a bit unusual weather for Mombasa,” she said.

ASTHMATIC ATTACKS

As the cold spell bites, Ms Inoti warned that asthma sufferers might experience a worsening of their condition.

Others, she said, will experience colds, flu and coughs due to the sudden change in weather patterns.

The meteorological official advised residents to ensure that children and elderly people put on warm clothes to shield themselves against the cold weather.

Ms Inoti also warned that local fishermen should work with care since the sea was rough due to stronger winds.

“The sea is undergoing a turbulent period as a result of strong winds and therefore fishermen who use dug-out canoes must take precautions lest they are swept by raging sea waves,” she warned.

Ms Inoti called on residents to protect themselves against the cold especially in the morning hours and at night to prevent pneumonia.