Cold season slowly settling in, says Met

Residents of Nairobi and the surrounding highlands will experience a noticeable chill as the cold season sets in.

The weatherman has said the cold season is slowly settling over Nairobi and around Mt Kenya.

Dr David Gikungu, the director of meteorological services, said night-time temperatures will fall below 10°C – dipping to around 6-8°C in Nairobi and counties around Mt Kenya – so residents should prepare for cold nights and misty mornings.

Days will be mild to warm, with highs of around 20°C; many mornings will start cloudy before breaking into sunshine.

There is a chance of light showers or drizzles in the late afternoons or evenings in some days.

“Rainfall is expected to continue over some parts of the highlands east and west of Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, the central Rift Valley and the Coast,” he said in a forecast that ends on Madaraka Day.

This region comprises Nairobi, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu, and Tharaka counties.

Traditionally, the cold season begins in June and strengthens in July, which is the coldest month in Kenya.

Across the western Kenya highlands and around Lake Victoria, wet weather will continue through the weekend.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected in several afternoons, though there will be some dry periods with sunny intervals.

The official forecast indicates rainfall will continue over the highland regions and the Lake Victoria Basin.

This region comprises Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Trans Nzoia, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Nakuru, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia and West Pokot counties.

Daytime highs here will be high around 28-30°C, while nighttime lows stay cool, roughly 10-13°C.

This means western Kenya will see a mix of sun and frequent rain, so farmers and outdoor workers should watch the skies.

By contrast, northwestern counties like Turkana and Samburu will remain mostly dry and sunny