The gloomy weather will continue this weekend, with the skies expected to clear up on Monday, the weatherman says.
Dr David Gikungu, head of the meteorological department, said many places will receive light showers this weekend.
He said temperatures will remain low this weekend, but will rise beginning on Monday.
“Rainfall is expected to continue over some parts of the highlands east and west of the Rift Valley, the Coast and the Rift Valley. The rest of the country is likely to be generally dry,” he said.
“Occasional cold and cloudy conditions are expected over the Highlands East of the Rift Valley as well as over some parts of the South-eastern lowlands and the Highlands West of the Rift Valley."
Dr Gikungu spoke as the World Meteorological Organization announced that the probability of the El Niño event continuing during the second half of 2023 is 90 per cent and is expected to be at least moderate in strength.
WMO's update combines forecasts and expert guidance from around the world.
In anticipation of El Niño, the World Health Organization has asked countries to prepare for possible disease outbreaks.
Diseases such as dengue and malaria are likely to occur due to the El Niño weather phenomenon in 2023 and 2024.
Malaria, chikungunya virus and dengue virus are endemic causes of illness among children in Kenya, and outbreaks are common in wet seasons.
Both chikungunya and dengue are transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, while malaria is transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito.
World Meterological Organization secretary general Prof Petteri Taalas said El Niño would greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records and triggering more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean.
“The declaration of an El Niño by WMO is the signal to governments around the world to mobilise preparations to limit the impacts on our health, our ecosystems and our economies,” Taalas said.
“Early warnings and anticipatory action of extreme weather events associated with this major climate phenomenon are vital to saving lives and livelihoods."
El Niño occurs on average every two to seven years, and episodes typically last nine to 12 months.
It is a naturally occurring climate pattern due to the warming of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
It takes place in the context of a climate changed by human activities.
On May 16, the Kenya Meteorological Department issued an update saying El Nino is expected to occur during the October to December season.
Dr Gikungu said during El Niño, sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Oceans become warmer than average.
La Niña is characterised by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the same regions.
“El Niño is often associated with heavy rains and floods during the OND {October-November-December} season especially in East Africa,” Gikungu said.
He said it is important to note that El Niño itself is not rain, but rather an effect that can impact weather patterns and lead to heavier-than-normal rainfall in East Africa.
“While heavy rains are commonly experienced during El Niño events, it is also notable that these effects are typically most significant during the ONDJ {October-November-December-January} months and not in June, July and August," he said.
"It should also be understood that El Niño is not necessarily a direct cause of heavy rainfall. While it can impact weather patterns and result in heavier-than-normal rainfall, the effects of El Niño can vary significantly between events,” Gikungu said.
Gikungu said in 1987, for instance, the OND season was an El Niño event that did not result in heavy rainfall over the country.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
