The Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) has dismissed a heatwave alert circulating widely on social media, clarifying that the message did not originate from the agency and urging the public to rely only on official communications.
In a statement issued on Monday, KMD said it was aware of the alert being shared online but stressed that it was not an official advisory.
“The Kenya Meteorological Department would like to clarify that the heat wave alert currently circulating on social media is not an official communication from KMD,” the department said, urging members of the public to ignore the message and avoid spreading unverified weather information.
KMD explained that the higher temperatures currently being experienced across parts of the country are normal for this time of year.
According to the department’s temperature climatology, January, February, and March are typically the hottest months in Kenya.
“The warmer-than-average temperatures currently being experienced are normal for this period and consistent with the forecast,” the statement noted.
Providing an official outlook, KMD said the weather forecast for the period between January 27 and February 2, 2026, points to predominantly sunny and dry conditions over much of the country.
However, the department said isolated light rainfall may occur in a few areas, including the highlands east and west of the Rift Valley, the Rift Valley itself, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Coastal region, and the south-eastern lowlands.
The department warned that daytime temperatures are expected to remain high in several regions. “Average daytime (maximum) temperatures above 30°C are anticipated over the Coastal region, North-eastern and North-western Kenya, and parts of the south-eastern lowlands, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, and Western Kenya,” KMD said.
At the same time, significantly cooler conditions are expected at night in some areas. According to KMD, “average night-time (minimum) temperatures are expected to be less than 10°C in some parts of the Central Highlands, the North and Central Rift Valley, Western Kenya, and in the vicinity of Mt. Kilimanjaro.”
The department said it will continue to closely monitor weather conditions across the country and issue advisories when necessary.
It urged Kenyans to follow updates shared through KMD’s verified platforms and cautioned against sharing weather alerts from unofficial sources, noting that misinformation can cause unnecessary alarm among the public.
