The Kenya Meteorological Department has issued a forecast indicating that heavy rainfall will persist in some parts of the country for the next seven days. According to the department, the southern half of the country has experienced heavy rains, while the North Eastern and North Western regions have remained dry. The forecast also warned of isolated storms in the South Rift Valley and South-Eastern lowlands.
This announcement comes as Nairobi and other areas yesterday Friday 5th January 2024 experienced heavy rainfall. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s weather outlook for January 2024 suggested that Highlands East of the Rift Valley and Central Kenya were likely to have occasional rainfall with some breaks during the month. The expected rainfall was anticipated to be near to above the long-term average amounts for the same month in previous years.
During the previous October-November-December Seasonal Rainfall, some counties were affected by landslides and mudslides. In Kiambu, for example, several houses were destroyed by a mudslide in Site village, and tragically, two people were killed in Riara village after a mudslide buried their house.
The Kenya Meteorological Department also highlighted potential impacts likely to be experienced this month in areas of agriculture and food security, water resources, and the environment sectors. Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Climate Prediction and Applications Center has forecast heavy rains in the greater part of the Horn of Africa between January and March 2024, following the recent El Nino weather pattern.
The public is encouraged to stay weather-aware and seek guidance from relevant authorities, particularly in the agricultural sector, to prepare for the upcoming planting season.
