Residents living in parts of the Highlands west of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, and sections of the Rift Valley have been warned to expect light to moderate rainfall over the next five days, according to the latest weather update by the Kenya Met.
In its latest weekly weather forecast covering January 31 to next Wednesday, the Kenya Meteorological Department highlighted the likelihood of scattered rainfall across parts of Nyanza and South Rift, particularly Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, and sections of Kisii and Nyamira counties. The rest of the country is expected to remain predominantly sunny and dry.
According to the forecast, other Western and Rift Valley counties expected to receive rainfall include Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Kericho, Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Narok, and Baringo.
The department said the rains will be scattered and confined to a few areas, mainly occurring in the afternoons and at night, with some episodes accompanied by thunderstorms. This is even as morning conditions are expected to feature sunny intervals.
Rainfall is projected to remain light to moderate, with no indication of prolonged or widespread downpours during the period.
Maximum temperatures are forecast to range between 30°C and 33°C, while minimum temperatures could drop to as low as 8°C in some highland areas.
In Nairobi and other counties in the Highlands East of the Rift Valley, including Kiambu, Nyeri, Murang’a, Laikipia, Meru, Embu, and Kirinyaga, the residents have been advised to expect mostly dry conditions. Sunny intervals will dominate during the day, with only isolated light showers forecast in a few areas.
Night-time conditions in Nairobi and surrounding counties are expected to be partly cloudy, with minimum temperatures ranging between the lows of 5°C and 8°C, while daytime temperatures will range from the highs of 31°C to 33°C.
Even so, the weatherman said that the current dry and hot conditions are expected to continue, with the North-western counties of Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, and Isiolo set to experience sunny intervals throughout the day.
The day temperatures in the counties are expected to be as high as 38°C and only lower to about 17°C at night.
At the same time, the south-eastern lowlands, including Kitui, Makueni, Machakos, Kajiado, and Taita Taveta, are also expected to remain largely dry, with sunny conditions during the day and partly cloudy nights.
At the Coast, counties such as Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, and Lamu will experience sunny intervals throughout the period, with warm and humid conditions and no rainfall expected.