The Kenya Meteorological Department has some good news for us.
They say that in the next three months, most parts of Kenya will get more rain than usual.
This is according to their latest prediction.
But there are some exceptions.
Areas like the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, Central Kenya, and the Southern Rift Valley have been getting rain since September.
For the rest of the country, the rain is expected to start between the second and third week of October.
In October, places like the Lake Victoria Basin, Central Kenya, parts of the Southern Rift Valley, the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Coast, Northeastern Kenya, and most of the Southeastern lowlands will get more rain than they usually do.
In contrast, the Northwestern parts of Kenya, the Southeastern lowlands (Kajiado), and some parts of the Southern Rift Valley (like Narok) will get about the usual amount of rain.
The Kenya Meteorological Department is telling farmers to take advantage of this rainy season.
They can plant more crops and grow more pasture because there will be more rain.
But, there’s a warning too.
In some areas, there might be flash floods.
These areas include the low-lying parts of the northern regions, the Southeastern lowlands, the Coastal region, some parts of Central Kenya, and the Southern Rift Valley.
Also, in places where lightning is common, like the Lake Victoria Basin and Western Kenya (Kisii, Kisumu, Nandi, Kakamega, and Bungoma), it’s not safe to be under trees or near metal structures during storms.
This forecast comes just after the Kenya Met Service said that some areas in Western Kenya might flood.
These areas include Nyakach, Nyando, the lower parts of the River Nzoia, Winam Gulf, and the lower parts of the River Sondu.
Remember, El Niño is expected to come back this year.
It happens every 3 to 5 years and brings lots of rain and flooding to East Africa.
The last big El Niño events were in 1997 and 2006.
Thus, we need to be prepared in 2024.
