Met Department warns of continued showers across major regions

Rain will continue to affect large parts of the country over the next two days, with weather experts warning of shifting conditions that will alternate between showers, sunshine and thunderstorms across different regions.

The Kenya Meteorological Department has projected continued rainfall between April 13 and 14, with acting Director Edward Muriuki noting that most parts of the country will experience a mix of wet and dry conditions at different times of the day. He said the pattern will include night showers, morning breaks, and afternoon storms in several areas.

In the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin and surrounding counties such as Kisumu, Kericho, and Nakuru, residents are expected to experience showers and thunderstorms in some places during the night, followed by morning sunshine and renewed afternoon storms.

A similar weather pattern is expected in the Highlands East of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi and nearby counties such as Nyeri, Murang’a, and Kiambu, where scattered night showers will give way to morning rains and later afternoon thunderstorms.

In the southeastern lowlands covering Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, Kajiado, and Taita Taveta, isolated night showers are expected, followed by sunny intervals in the morning and thunderstorms later in the day.

Coastal counties, including Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, and Tana River, will also experience overnight showers, with light morning rainfall along the coast and isolated thunderstorms developing in the afternoon.

In northeastern Kenya, including Wajir, Garissa, Mandera, and Marsabit, rainfall will be patchy and unevenly distributed. “Showers and thunderstorms are expected over a few places tonight around Wajir,” Muriuki said, adding that both morning and afternoon rains will also occur in scattered areas.

Northwestern Kenya, especially Turkana and Samburu, will remain largely dry with partly cloudy nights and sunny intervals during the day.

Strong southeasterly winds exceeding 25 knots (12.5 m/s) are expected in parts of Turkana and Marsabit, raising concerns over transport and outdoor activities.

Temperatures will vary widely across the country, with daytime highs above 30°C expected in coastal, northern, and southeastern regions. Lodwar is forecast to record the highest temperature at 38°C.

Cooler conditions will be experienced in the highlands, where night temperatures may drop below 10°C in parts of the Central Rift Valley, the Highlands East of the Rift Valley and areas near Mount Kilimanjaro. Kericho and Laikipia are expected to record lows of around 10°C.

Sunrise and sunset times will also vary, with Mombasa expected to see sunrise at 6:25am and sunset at 6:22pm, while Kisumu will record sunrise at 6:38am and sunset at 6:44pm.

Overall, the outlook points to continued rainfall activity across most parts of the country, with changing conditions between regions. The Met Department has urged the public to remain alert and follow daily forecasts due to possible rapid weather changes.

"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."