Weatherman predicts two-day rains in most parts of the country

Kenya Met warns that late April rainfall surge could trigger afternoon and evening storms across multiple regions.

Rainfall is expected to persist across large parts of Kenya over the next two days, the acting Director of the Kenya Meteorological Department, Edward Muriuki, has said in a detailed outlook covering April 13 to 14.

In a statement issued on Sunday, April 12, Muriuki noted that rainfall is expected to continue in some parts of the Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, the Coast and Northeastern Kenya, signalling sustained wet conditions in key agricultural and urban zones.

The forecast indicates a dynamic weather pattern, with intermittent rains interspersed with sunny intervals across most regions.

In the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin and the Rift Valley counties—including areas around Kisumu, Kericho and Nakuru—showers and thunderstorms are expected over a few places during the night.

Morning rains will give way to sunny breaks before afternoon thunderstorms redevelop.

A similar pattern is forecast for the Highlands East of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi and surrounding counties such as Nyeri, Murang’a and Kiambu.

According to Edward Muriuki, showers and thunderstorms are expected over a few places tonight, especially in high ground areas, followed by morning rains and afternoon thunderstorms.

In the southeastern lowlands—covering Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, Kajiado and Taita Taveta—residents should also expect scattered showers at night, morning rains transitioning into sunny intervals, and renewed thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Coastal counties such as Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu and Tana River will experience showers overnight, with light morning rainfall along the coastline and isolated thunderstorms later in the day.

The northeastern region, including Wajir, Garissa, Mandera and Marsabit, will see similar conditions, though rainfall will be more localized.

“Showers and thunderstorms are expected over a few places tonight around Wajir,” Muriuki said, adding that morning and afternoon rains will follow a similar scattered distribution.

However, northwestern Kenya—particularly Turkana and Samburu—will largely remain dry, with partly cloudy conditions at night and sunny intervals during the day.

Notably, strong southeasterly winds exceeding 25 knots (12.5 m/s) are expected in parts of Turkana and Marsabit counties, posing potential hazards for transport and outdoor activities.

Temperature variations across the country will remain significant. Daytime highs exceeding 30°C are forecast in the Coast, southeastern lowlands, and northern regions.

Lodwar is expected to record the highest temperature at 38°C. In contrast, cooler conditions will prevail in the highlands, with night-time temperatures dropping below 10°C in parts of the Central Rift Valley, Highlands East of the Rift Valley, and areas near Mount Kilimanjaro.

The coldest temperatures, around 10°C, are expected in Kericho and Laikipia county, underscoring the wide thermal contrast across regions.

Astronomical data in the forecast shows that the sun will rise earliest in Mombasa at 6:25am and set at 6:22pm, while Kisumu will experience the latest sunrise and sunset at 6:38am and 6:44pm respectively.

Overall, the outlook points to a continuation of the seasonal rains, with localised thunderstorms and varying temperature conditions.

Muriuki urged the public to remain updated on daily forecasts, noting that weather conditions may shift rapidly, particularly in areas prone to afternoon storms and strong winds.

"This forecast should be used in conjunction with the daily (24-hour) and five-day forecasts issued by this Department. County specific forecasts are available from the offices of respective County Directors of Meteorological Services."