Weatherman issues heavy rain warning starting March
What you need to know:
Heavy rainfall is expected over the Western sector and highlands east of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi area.
Near-normal to below normal rainfall will be experienced over most parts of Southeastern Kenya, the Coastal strip and parts of north eastern Kenya.
Kenya Meteorological Department has warned Kenyans to brace themselves for enhanced rainfall starting next month as the country enters the long rains season.
Heavy rainfall is expected over the Western sector and highlands east of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi area.
Western counties of Busia, Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma; and those in Nyanza including Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira and Homa Bay will receive near-normal rainfall with a tendency to above-normal, also known as enhanced rainfall.
HIGHEST RAINFALL
A similar weather pattern will be experienced by counties in northern Rift Valley including Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Baringo, Bomet, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Turkana, West Pokot and Samburu. The same as Central and Southern Rift Valley counties of Laikipia, Nakuru, Narok and Kajiado.
“The March to May period constitutes a major rainfall season in most parts of Kenya. The highest rainfall amounts of over 300 millimetres are normally recorded over Western, Central and the Coastal regions and parts of northern Kenya like Marsabit and Moyale,” said Ms Stella Aura, the acting director of Kenya Meteorological Services.
This is part of the weatherman’s forecast for the long rains season covering between March and May released on February 14.
The forecast indicates that much of the country, and especially the western and central highlands including Nairobi, are likely to experience near-normal to above-normal (enhanced) rainfall.
Counties in central Kenya including Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kiambu, Murang’a, Kirinyaga; those in the Eastern region such as Embu, Tharaka-Nithi and Meru; and Nairobi County in parts such as Westlands, Embakasi, Kasarani and Dagoretti are expected to receive near-normal to above normal rainfall.
“In April 2019, near-normal to above-normal rainfall is expected over most parts of the country and more so in western Kenya, central Rift Valley, northern Kenya and the central highlands including Nairobi,” she said.
Most of the rains are expected to start in the third week of March with early onset in the first and second week of March expected only in counties in the Lake Basin and highlands west of the Rift Valley.
The rains will continue into late May in most of these regions with only central Rift Valley region covering counties of Nakuru, Nyahururu; counties in the Lake Basin and highlands west of the Rift Valley and the Coastal strip continuing into the month of June.
Near-normal to below normal rainfall will be experienced over most parts of Southeastern Kenya, the Coastal strip and parts of north eastern Kenya.
