Riftvalley, Northeastern to receive rain, dry sunny conditions in rest of country — Met

Rain expected in some parts of the country. /FILE

Kenya is set to experience a mix of weather conditions over the next 24 hours, with rainfall expected in parts of the Rift Valley and Northeastern regions while the rest of the country remains largely sunny, the Meteorological Department has said.

In its latest forecast issued on Sunday afternoon, the department indicated that sunny intervals are expected across most parts of the country, signalling continued dry conditions in many regions.

However, the weatherman noted that some areas will still receive rainfall, particularly in the highland regions and parts of the north.

“Rainfall is expected over the Highlands West and East of the Great Rift Valley and in parts of the Northeastern region,” said Edward Muriuki, the acting director of the Kenya Meteorological Department.

According to the forecast, counties in the Rift Valley and those around the Lake Victoria Basin — including Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Kisumu and Kakamega — are likely to experience showers and thunderstorms at night, followed by breaks of sunshine in the morning before afternoon rains return in isolated areas.

A similar pattern is expected in the highlands east of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi and its neighbouring counties, where light rains may occur in the morning after overnight showers, before thunderstorms develop again later in the day.

In the Northeastern region, which covers counties such as Garissa, Wajir and Mandera, residents should also expect intermittent rainfall.

“Showers and thunderstorms over few places are expected tonight, with sunny intervals and rains over few places in the morning,” Muriuki said, adding that “showers and thunderstorms are expected over a few places in the afternoon.”

The forecast: SOURCE: Kenya Meteorological Department

The forecast also raised concern over strong winds in parts of northern Kenya, particularly Turkana and Marsabit counties.

“Strong southeasterly winds of above 25 knots (12.5 metres per second) are expected over parts of Turkana and Marsabit counties,” Muriuki warned, signalling potentially hazardous conditions, especially for residents in exposed areas.

Elsewhere, the North Western region, including Turkana and Samburu, will largely experience sunny intervals, although isolated showers and thunderstorms may occur, especially along the Kenya-Uganda border.

In the South Eastern lowlands — Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, Kajiado and Taita Taveta — the weather will remain mostly sunny, with only a slight chance of light rains in the morning and isolated showers later in the day.

The Coast region is expected to remain predominantly dry, with partly cloudy conditions dominating. Only a few areas in Tana River county may receive showers at night and light rains in the morning before sunshine resumes in the afternoon.

Overall, the forecast paints a picture of a country transitioning into drier conditions, punctuated by isolated rainfall events in specific regions.

The Meteorological Department has advised the public to stay updated with daily forecasts, especially in areas prone to thunderstorms and strong winds.