Met allays fears over violent El Niño rains

Kenyans have been asked not to panic over fears that there will be an El Niño during the short rains.

The Meteorological Department accused a local daily of creating panic and anxiety by claiming the country would experience the “mother of all El Niño” during the short rains.

Global projections

Acting Meteorological Department director Peter Kongoti said Wednesday: “Although there are global projections of a high possibility of an El Niño developing to full maturity in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, this will be clearer in August.

“This is the time the Meteorological Department will issue the forecast outlook for the October to December season,” Mr Kongoti said in a press statement. He assured Kenyans that the department would update Kenyans.

El Niño is a weather phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific Ocean that has an influence on Kenya’s rainfall patterns, especially during the short rains season.

“The current information on El Niño conditions is not only confusing Kenyans, but also creating anxiety and panic. However, due to other factors, the occurrence of El Niño does not always give rise to intense rainfall and that is why it is imperative to seek technical advice from the Meteorological Department before disseminating such information to the public,” Mr Kongoti said.

Property lost

He said not all El Niños resulted in heavy rains similar to those experienced in 1997/98 when many people lost their lives in various parts of the country and property worth millions of shillings was destroyed.

“In the minds of many Kenyans, the mention of El Niño reminds them of 1997/98.

“However, we experienced subsequent El Niños in 2002/03, 2006/07 and 2009/10 which went unnoticed as their impact were not as severe as those of 1997/98,” he said.