Tana River warned of heat waves, dust storms and water scarcity
A picture of a dust storm. Tana River County is likely to experience a dust storm, heat wave and water scarcity, the Meteorological Department says. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The sunny and dry weather conditions expected in the pastoral areas will worsen the drought situation and reduce pasture, county meteorological director said.
- The county could experience heat waves due to high temperatures, dust storms and acute water shortage.
- Sand storms have already destroyed the roofs of two schools.
Tana River County residents should brace for water scarcity, heat waves and sand storms for the next one month.
The County Director of Meteorological Services, Mr Ramadhan Munga, said the high day time temperatures of between 30-40°C would be experienced.
HEAT WAVES
The heat waves could result in potential health problems.
Mr Munga said in his monthly weather forecast that problems associated with dust or dust storms might also occur in some areas, particularly in northeastern and western parts of the county, as a result of the dry conditions.
He named Bura, Hola and Garsen towns as some of the areas likely to remain sunny and dry throughout the month.
“The sunny and dry weather conditions expected in the pastoral areas will worsen the drought situation in the county and lead to a further reduction in foliage and pastures for livestock,” he said.
The director said an assessment of rainfall performance during the month of December 2017 indicates that most parts of the county experienced depressed rainfall with most meteorological stations recording less than 75% of their monthly Long Term Means (LTMs).
“The December rainfall was poorly distributed, both in time and space with sunny and dry weather conditions dominating over most parts of the county,” he said.
HEALTH
Health experts said dust particles could lead to respiratory problems particularly for people with asthma.
Exposure to dust in dust storms can cause coughing, wheezing and running noses, they added.
The dust can harm sensitive lung tissue, irritate the lungs and trigger allergic reactions, including asthma attacks.
WATER
Sand storms have been witnessed in pastoral areas of the county, with cyclones disrupting learning in schools in the north and western parts of the county.
In a period of two weeks, cyclones have carried away roofs of two schools, and about 800 students have been asked to stay at home until repairs are completed.
Waldena Primary School and Dhidh Adhe, both in Galole Sub-County, have been closed.
Rivers and water pans in Wayu, Waldena, Titila and Gururi have dried out.
Tana North is experiencing extreme vegetation deficit, with the purported better vegetation cover in Tana Delta depleting fast.
