•The rains are welcome to farmers, who have not harvested their crops, planted late last year.
•The October-December short rains were depressed and most meteorological stations recorded below 75 per cent of the December-long term averages.
Image: File
The January weather continues to throw us for a loop. Just when Kenyans had taken off their rain jackets, the Met says more rains are coming.
January is typically a dry month, but that will be rudely interrupted with unseasonal rains in western Kenya, which will intensify through the Rift Valley highlands and central Kenya this week.
Met director Stella Aura said a few places around Lake Victoria, the Rift Valley highlands and in Turkana, West Pokot and Samburu counties, will be hit by thunderstorms.
The rains, which have already begun, will increase rapidly on Friday and continue throughout the weekend.
“Rainfall intensities are likely to increase over the eastern sector of the country towards the end of the forecast period,” she said in a seven-day forecast which ends on Monday.
Some parts of Turkana and Marsabit counties are likely to experience strong winds, she said.
In Central highlands, including Nairobi, Kiambu, Embu, Meru, Nyeri, Nyandarua, Laikipia, and Murang'a counties, there will be morning rains and afternoon showers over a few places mid this week.
Heavier evening showers may occur over a few places from Friday.
The Coastal strip will have sunny days and cloudy nights throughout this week, but a few areas may experience morning, afternoon and evening showers from Friday.
The rains are welcome to farmers, who have not harvested their crops, planted late last year.
The October-December short rains were depressed and most meteorological stations recorded below 75 per cent of the December-long term averages. This is because Kenya is going through a La Nina.
What is La Nina? Original video source: https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/elninolanina Ocean Today is an interactive exhibit that plays short videos on ocean related themes. Visitors can select from 200+ videos on topics ranging from deep-‐sea exploration, marine species, and restoration projects to hurricanes, oceans and human health, and climate science and research. These videos are a free resource and are available on our website at https://oceantoday.noaa.gov.
Last week, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, supported by USAID, warned of a decline in food security across Kenya.
Most affected will be people in eastern and northern Kenya, who will need relief food and livestock offtake by May.
The outlook said pastoral areas will be most affected because the short rains were below average and there are three dry months ahead.
The early warning platform advises farmers to sell some of their livestock through offtake programmes.
“The forecast below-average 2021 long rains are expected to lead to short-lived pasture and water regeneration, and gradual declines in livestock body conditions and production, limiting household access to food and income,” the FewsNet prediction said.
It said urban families will also suffer food shortages due to low incomes and higher-priced commodities impacting household purchasing power.
Kenya Livestock Marketing Council chairman Dubat Amey recently advised pastoralists in Northeastern to start selling their livestock to avoid losing them during the looming dry season.
According to the Nairobi-based Igad Climate Prediction and Application Centre, there will be hot weather in most parts of the country between now and March.