Nairobi, Central, Rift Valley and Western Kenya forecast to get normal rainfall.
The weatherman Monday released a detailed March-May weather outlook indicating that most parts of the country will experience dry weather as others witness delayed rains ahead of the planting season.
The depressed weather is set to have a negative impact on farmers’ calendar and compromise food security.
Kenya Meteorological Department director Peter Ambenje said the variability in the rainfall patterns was in sharp contrast to situation several years back when farmers would accurately expect rains to begin around mid-March.
Western Kenya, Central Rift Valley and parts of Central and Nairobi are the only regions forecast to receive near normal rainfall, with the first drops expected to hit the ground in the third week of March.
“Most of the country will experience dry weather ahead of the long rains season expected to start next month,” said Mr Ambenje yesterday when he released the forecast.
He added that they are not ruling out the possibility that there will be flooding in areas where it will rain. “Even in the areas where we are anticipating depressed rainfall. You can have one day where you have extremely heavy rainfall and then it floods,” he said.
With the country struggling to get back on its feet after the prolonged drought and failed rains last year, the Kenya Met cannot quite give a complete picture yet on what to expect this year, but has hinted at the possibility of a La Nina occurring later in the year.
“Current sea temperatures are showing La Nina conditions, but for us to declare a La Nina, they have to have persisted for several months. But the forecasts are showing that in the next two or three months, it will have gone to neutral conditions,” said the weatherman.
As the country braces itself for the likelihood of failed rains, the Ministry of Energy is warning that Masinga Dam, a key source of power, is suffering low volumes of water and might have to shut down soon if it doesn’t rain.
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