• Areas to receive rain include Trans Nzoia, Kakamega, Bungoma, Bomet, Busia, Narok, Kericho and Nakuru counties.
• Others are Laikipia, Baringo, Siaya, Kisumu, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Vihiga, Homabay, Nyamira and Kisii counties.
Image: WILFRED NYANGARESI
Several parts of the country are expected to receive rainfall in the next seven days, the Meteorological Department has said.
In the forecast released on Tuesday, Director Stella Aura said areas west and east of the Rift Valley, west and Southeastern lowlands, Northeast and Western Kenya will receive rainfall of between 10-50 millilitres over the forecast period.
“Morning showers are expected over a few places,” Aura said.
She added: “Afternoon, as well as showers and thunderstorms, are likely to occur over few places occasionally spreading over few places.”
The areas include Trans Nzoia, Kakamega, Bungoma, Bomet, Busia, Narok, Kericho and Nakuru counties.
The others are Laikipia, Baringo, Siaya, Kisumu, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Vihiga, Homabay, Nyamira and Kisii counties.
Aura said the rest of the country is likely to mainly experience sunny and dry conditions with temperatures expected to hit a maximum of 40°C.
She said the counties of Turkana and Samburu will, however, experience occasional morning rains and afternoon showers over a few places during the second half of the forecast period.
The forecast covers March 22-28.
According to Aura, the occasional morning and evening showers will also be felt in northeastern Kenya during the second half of the forecast period (March 25-28).
Counties to be affected are Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir and Isiolo while highlands east of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi, will experience sunny intervals in the morning and evening showers over a few places.
The forecast was released at a time that traditionally marks the onset of the March-May long rains season.
This is the period when grain farmers normally begin early planting of their crops.
The weather pattern, however, points to a probable delay or depressed rainfall at such a critical time for farmers.
Already, the government has issued an alarm warning that the number of hunger-stricken Kenyans could rise to 3.5 million from the current 3.1 million on account of depressed rains.
The projected upsurge of hungry Kenyans is likely if the clouds don’t open up soon enough, particularly across 23 counties in arid and semi-arid areas where drought is most severe.