Brace for wet Easter weekend, weatherman advises Kenyans

Kenyans have been asked to brace for a wet Easter holiday, with the weatherman predicting heavy rains across most parts of the country during the weekend.

The Meteorological department forecasts that heavy rainfall will be experienced in some parts of the Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, the South- Eastern lowlands and the Coast.

The weather predictions show that the wet season will prevail upto Easter Monday, April 1. During this period, the Kenya Safari Rally will also be taking place.

The forecast released by the Meteorological Department covering today upto Sunday showed that highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, and the Rift Valley region would experience rains over a few places in the morning hours.

In the afternoon, the affected regions covering Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Trans Nzoia, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi, Nakuru, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia and West Pokot counties would experience heavy rains accompanied showers and thunderstorms.

Dry morning hours

The forecast shows that the north-western region comprising Turkana and Samburu counties would largely remain dry especially in the morning hours, but with a possibility experience of light showers in the afternoons and during the nights.

The highlands East of the Rift Valley [including Nairobi, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu, Tharaka and Nairobi counties will on the other hand experience light showers over a few places in the morning hours throughout the Easter weekend, culminating in heavy downpours in the afternoons and nights, the forecast shows.

The Northeastern counties of Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Isiolo will remain relatively dry with chances of light showers in scattered places.

Light showers

But the south eastern counties of Kitui, Makueni, Machakos, Kajiado and Taita Taveta counties will experience light showers in them morning hours leading to heavy downpours as the day wears on.

The Coast, comprising the five counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu and Tana River counties will experience light showers in the morning culminating in heavy diownpours in the afternoons all through the Easter weekend, the forecast shows.

It indicates that there will be high average daytime (maximum) temperatures of more than 30 degrees Centigrade to be experienced in a number of counties including Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Isiolo, Garissa, Tana River, Lamu, Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale.

Average night-time (minimum) temperatures are likely to be high (more than 25 degrees C) over some parts the Coast, North-Eastern and North-western Kenya.

The Kenya Red Cross Society also predicts there will be near-average rainfall with a tendency to above average rainfall expected over the Coastal region and parts of the South Eastern lowlands.

Occasional storms are also likely to be experienced in some parts of the country.

KRS recommends that holiday makers should go out for excursions in the countryside as weather permits, noting there shall be rains half of the days of the month.

The warning comes in the wake of last Sunday night downpour in Nairobi and neighbouring counties which left seven people dead and families displaced.

A police officer in Kamukunji was among those who died. Four other victims were swept by water in Embakasi, Buruburu, Gigiri and Dagoreti areas.

The officer was in a team that had responded to a distress call to rescue a family that had been trapped in a flooded house. The other officers managed to rescue the family but as they were leaving he stepped in an open manhole, according to a statement from Nairobi police regional commander Adamson Bungei.

Most roads in the city, including parts of the Expressway and houses near rivers and major drainages, were flooded.

According to Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, close to 300 families were affected by the heavy rains. Worst affected were those living at Gatoto, Rurie, Mombasa Zone, Feed the Children, Riverside, Kosovo and Diamond areas.