• On average, June began disappointingly for farmers because of too little or no rains in most places.
• The rest of the country will however remain dry.
Image: FILE
The Rift Valley Highlands and parts of Central could receive slight rains this week according to a forecast by the meteorological department.
This would be a relief to farmers since crops planted two months ago have begun withering.
Met director Stella Aura said the rains are mainly coming from the Uganda and South Sudan sides.
She said the Lake Victoria basin and highlands west of the Rift Valley will benefit the most.
“Isolated storms are also expected over these areas. The rainfall is likely to occasionally spill over to a few places over the highlands east of the Rift Valley including Nairobi county,” Aura said.
The rest of the country will however remain dry.
Daytime temperatures dropped last week, with Nyahururu reporting the lowest seven-day average minimum temperatures of 5.2 degrees.
On average, June began disappointingly for farmers because of too little or no rains in most places.
However, in a three-month forecast, the Met still warns of the usual cold and drizzle. Aura warned of an expected increase in respiratory diseases in June and July.
The weather outlook for the June-August rainfall season, released two weeks ago, indicated that Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang'a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Nairobi counties will experience near-average to above average temperatures.
The same will be experienced in Marsabit, Isiolo, Kajiado, Machakos, Kitui and Makueni counties.
"This will be occasioned by prolonged hours of cloudy conditions resulting in cold and chilly conditions. A few days may turn out to be extremely cold with daytime temperatures falling below 18oC," Met said.
Aura said cases of respiratory diseases like asthma, pneumonia, flu and common cold are likely to increase due to the expected cold weather.
The areas include Nairobi county, the highlands east of the Rift Valley, the central Rift Valley and parts of the highlands west of the Rift Valley.
She advised Kenyans to wear warm clothes and follow advice from health personnel.
"We advise that during chilly days, jikos in poorly ventilated houses should be avoided as burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide gas that is lethal when inhaled," Aura said.
The outlook further indicated that the highlands west of the Rift Valley, Lake Victoria basin, central and southern Rift Valley as well as the northwestern region are likely to receive slightly above-average rainfall.
The Coastal strip is likely to receive below-average rainfall, while the rest of the country is expected to remain generally dry.
"Most areas in the central highlands and Nairobi area are expected to experience cold and cloudy conditions with occasional rain or drizzle. The temperatures are likely to be slightly warmer than average for the season," the outlook shows.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)