Tag: Rains

  • Met: Heavy rains expected in several parts of the country from Thursday

    Met: Heavy rains expected in several parts of the country from Thursday

    Rainfall is expected across several parts of the country from Thursday, with isolated heavy downpours likely, the Kenya Meteorological Department has said.

    In its latest forecast, the department indicated that rains will be experienced over the Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, the South-eastern lowlands and the Coast, warning that some regions could record heavy rainfall events.

    Counties in the Lake Victoria Basin and the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, including Nandi, Kakamega, Kisumu and Narok, are expected to begin with sunny intervals before transitioning to morning rains and afternoon to night showers and thunderstorms from Thursday.

    In the Highlands East of the Rift Valley, covering areas such as Nyeri, Murang’a and Nairobi, morning rains are likely in a few places before spreading to several areas later in the day, accompanied by afternoon and night thunderstorms.

    The South-eastern lowlands, Machakos, Kitui, Makueni and Kajiado, will initially experience dry and sunny conditions, with rainfall expected to set in from Thursday, bringing showers and thunderstorms in the afternoons and nights.

    At the Coast, including Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale, showers are likely at different times of the day, while north-western counties such as Turkana and Samburu will largely remain sunny and dry at the start before occasional rains develop.

    North-eastern counties, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir and Garissa, are also expected to experience predominantly dry conditions initially, followed by intermittent rainfall in a few areas.

  • Rains to continue this week in most parts of the country

    Rains to continue this week in most parts of the country

    The rainfall currently being experienced in several parts of the country is expected to continue throughout the week.

    According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, heavy rains will be received in Central Highlands, Western Kenya, Lake Victoria Basin, Rift Valley, and South-eastern lowlands until Sunday, February 2nd.

    “Rainfall is expected to continue over the Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley and theSouth-eastern lowlands during the first half of the forecast period though a few areas over Southwestern and South Rift Valley are likely to experience rainfall throughout the forecast period,” Met said in its five-day weather forecast.

    It however forecasts that most parts of the Coast, North-eastern and North-western Kenya are likely to be generally sunny and dry although a few areas may experience occasional rainfall.

    Many areas in Nairobi, the capital city, are grappling with flash floods, which have been attributed to the poor drainage system.

     

     

  • Governor Wavinya flags off seeds distribution as rains set in

    Governor Wavinya flags off seeds distribution as rains set in

    Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s campaign for a food-secure county went a notch higher on Wednesday when she flagged off distribution of assorted seeds worth Ksh 61 million.

    Wavinya said the seeds distribution, which targets vulnerable residents, seeks to improve the county’s food security and eliminate reliance on relief supplies.

    “We have 86 drop-off points where the seeds will be delivered for issuance to the identified farmers. The program targets less fortunate members of the farming communities across the 40 Wards,” Governor we said during the ceremony at the Matuu County Lodge.

    Wavinya said her Government had mobilised teams of agricultural extension officers that will help farmers in crop management.

    One of the beneficiaries, Celestina Wambua, lauded Governor Wavinya’s gesture, terming it a great relief for many struggling residents who couldn’t afford to purchase seeds.

    “I am highly grateful to governor Wavinya for coming through for many of us who were stranded and didn’t have hopes of planting,” she said.

    Another resident, Emma Mburu said the seeds distribution will serve in eliminating household poverty.

    “This is real empowerment because when I harvest my food, I will have something to feed my children. We thank the governor for remembering us,” she said.

    Agriculture executive, Catherine Mutanu said the Governor’s initiative aligns to her Chakula Mezani Pesa Mfukoni philosophy, which seeks to empower residents to become self-reliant.

  • Short rains to start third week of October

    Short rains to start third week of October

    The Kenya Meteorological Department has announced that the short rains are expected to begin between the third and fourth week of this month.

    The October 2024 weather outlook indicates that the Highlands west of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Central and South Rift Valley, the Northwest, the Highlands east of the Rift Valley (including Nairobi County), isolated areas in the Northeast (parts of Marsabit), and parts of the Southeast (Machakos and parts of Kajiado) are likely to experience near to above-average rainfall for the month.

    In contrast, the Coastal region, most of the Southeastern lowlands, and the majority of the Northeastern zone are expected to receive near to below-average rainfall.

    “The onset of the Short Rains season is anticipated between the fourth week of October and the first week of November over the eastern part of the country, while it is expected to occur in the third to fourth week of October over the central parts, including Nairobi County,” KMD says.

    Depressed rainfall

    Generally, the rainfall is expected to be poorly distributed, both in time and space over several parts of the country, says the Kenya Meteorological Department.

    According to the October-November-December weather outlook, the western sector is expected to have a fair to good distribution while the central sector is expected to have a poor to fair distribution. The rest of the country is expected to have a poor distribution

    The rains are anticipated to cease during the 1st-2nd week of December with occasional rainfall towards the end of December.

    Temperatures are expected to be warmer than average across most parts of the country, except in a few areas in the western sector where both maximum and minimum temperatures are anticipated to be near normal.

    Higher probabilities for warmer-than-average temperatures are expected over the central and eastern regions of the country.

    The climate outlook is based on models developed from the expected evolution of global Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs).

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Safety tips issued as rains wreck havoc

    Safety tips issued as rains wreck havoc

    The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has issued safety guidelines for flooding amid pounding rains in Nairobi and other parts of the country.

    In a statement on X, the KRCS advised Kenyans to beware of flash floods and evacuate immediately to elevated areas if they sense impending danger.

    The humanitarian organisation that has issued a toll-free number (1190) has further cautioned against walking and driving through flood waters as it can put someone at risk of being knocked down by moving waters.

    The safety tips were shared just hours after heavy rains from Sunday night to Monday morning left parts of the city flooded including major roads connecting to the capital, Nairobi.

    Parts of the Nairobi Expressway had flooded to knee-level as Kenyans shared videos online showing cars being redirected by the toll road officers.

    It warns that just six inches of moving water can knock one down and just one foot of moving water is enough to sweep a vehicle away.

    To test the depth of the flooded area, it is advisable to use a stick before trying to navigate the area.

    It warns against having activities along streams and rivers during heavy rainfall. The organization advises Kenyans to switch off electricity from the main switch to avoid electrocution incidents in case a house is flooded.

    The rains were also accompanied by isolated storms as trees were felled in parts of the city.

    Data from the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) shows that the rains will stretch to Wednesday as most parts of the country will experience heavy rains.

    KMD says that light showers will be experienced in the morning hours and heavy showers with thunderstorms will be present in the afternoon.