NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenya Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rainfall in several parts of the country this weekend, warning that five major regions could experience showers and thunderstorms.
In a weather advisory issued on Friday, the agency said rainfall is expected across the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, Highlands East of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, and the South-eastern Lowlands.
According to the forecast, areas in the highlands west of the Rift Valley and the Lake Victoria Basin will likely experience morning rainfall in a few locations before afternoon showers and thunderstorms develop. Additional rain is expected in some areas during the evening hours.
Similar weather patterns are predicted across the Rift Valley region, where morning rains will be followed by afternoon thunderstorms and evening showers in isolated areas.
In the highlands east of the Rift Valley, which include Nairobi and Kiambu County, forecasters said a few places could receive rainfall in the morning, with afternoon showers and thunderstorms likely later in the day.
Evening conditions in the region are expected to vary, with some areas receiving showers while others remain partly cloudy.
Meanwhile, residents in the South-eastern Lowlands are also likely to experience morning rainfall in some locations before afternoon thunderstorms develop.
The latest forecast comes days after the weather agency projected a general decline in rainfall across many parts of the country.
In an earlier update issued on March 9, the department said rainfall activity would reduce both in spatial coverage and intensity across several regions, although occasional rains would continue in parts of southern Kenya.
“Rainfall is expected to reduce in spatial coverage and intensity across several parts of the country. However, occasional rainfall is likely to continue over several areas in the southern parts of the country,” the agency said in the earlier statement.
Despite the projected decline, the department cautioned that isolated areas could still receive heavy rainfall during the current forecast period.
Weather experts have in recent weeks urged residents in flood-prone areas to remain alert as seasonal rainfall patterns continue to shift across the country.
