- The forecast, issued by Meteorological director David Gikungu, covers the period Sunday to Wednesday
- The forecast comes two weeks after the Met predicted depressed rainfall over eastern Kenya during the October to December season
Image: FILE
Light rains in many parts of Kenya will continue this week, a new forecast suggests.
The rains are expected in parts of Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang'a, Embu, Meru, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Tharaka, Nyandarua and Laikipia counties, where low nighttime temperatures will continue.
Parts of the Coast (Mombasa, Tana River, Kilifi, Lamu and Kwale counties) will also continue to have some rains.
The forecast, issued by Meteorological director David Gikungu, covers the period Sunday to Wednesday.
“Rainfall is expected to continue over some parts of the Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley and the Coast,” Dr Gikungu said in a statement.
The Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin and the Rift Valley will also have morning and evening rains.
These areas include Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Trans Nzoia, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi, Nakuru, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia and West Pokot.
Samburu and Turkana counties will remain sunny but have rains on Wednesday.
Sunny weather will continue in Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Isiolo.
“Intermittent cold and cloudy conditions are expected over some parts of the Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, the South-eastern lowlands and the Rift Valley,” Gikungu added.
The forecast comes days after the Met predicted depressed rainfall over eastern Kenya during the October to December season.
However, Western and all areas along the Uganda and South Sudan border, could receive above-normal rains.
Gikungu, who spoke in Nakuru last week on Wednesday, said the ongoing rainfall in various parts will reduce significantly in the last quarter of the year.
The expected depressed rains are due to several climatic factors.
He noted the eastern stretch of the Indian Ocean (near Australia) is recording warmer than average sea surface temperatures.
“This constitutes a negative Indian Ocean Dipole that is not favourable for good rainfall over most of East Africa,” he said.
“Equatorial Sea surface temperatures are also near-to-below average across the central to eastern Pacific Ocean, which implies that mild La-Nina conditions are present.”
The reduced rainfall will peak in November as sunny and dry conditions are expected to prevail in December as the cessation begins.
“However, despite the depressed rains, isolated incidences of storms and flash are likely in some of the areas,”the met boss told media.
The decreased rains forecast should still be treated as an early warning sign, because it means some parts of the horn of Africa may have drought.
He said the Western half of Kenya will have a normal onset, usually at the beginning of October, while the depressed rains in eastern Kenya will come late.
Temperatures will be above normal in October-December in most parts of the country, but Western Kenya may have cooler weather.