Met Department Explains Cold Weather in September Outlook

The Kenya Meteorological Department – KMD has offered an explanation to the prevailing chilly conditions being experienced in Nairobi and other parts of the country.

In its weather outlook released on Wednesday, September 7, KMD stated that the cold weather is a result of coupling of wet conditions with influx of cold winds from Southern Africa. 

However, the weatherman predicted warmer weather conditions going into the weekend. 

Some of the equipment set up at Kenya Meteorological Department.

File

Further, the agency divulged that the current rains are due to the shifting of the humid Congo airmass towards Eastern Africa.

“The cold weather is due to a coupling of the wet conditions with the influx of cold air from Southern Africa. Warmer conditions are expected into the weekend, however, rains will continue mainly over the western parts of the country and over a few places in the central highlands,” reads the statement. 

“The rains currently being experienced in the Western and Central highlands including Nairobi are due to the shifting of the humid Congo airmass towards Eastern Africa due to weaker pressures over the Mozambique channel,” the statement explained. 

According to forecast, the rains are expected to last for the better part of the week in some parts of the country. Areas in the Rift Valley, Lake Victoria vicinities and Nort-Western Kenya are expected to experience rainfall from Thursday, September 8 to Monday, September 12. 

The forecast also predicts cold weather in parts of the vast Rift Valley region in the above-stated period. Further, regions in the Highlands west of the Rift Valley and North Western Kenya are set to experience storms and flooding.

“The cold weather is due to a coupling of the wet conditions with the influx of cold air from Southern Africa. Warmer conditions are expected into the weekend, however, rains will continue mainly over the western parts of the country and over a few places in the central highlands,” reads a report from the department. 

“Isolated storms and possible flooding may occur over some parts of the Highlands West of the Rift Valley and North-western Kenya.”

The first days of the month of September have been relatively cold compared to other years and the weather patterns of the East African region.

Nairobi and other parts of the country have also experienced light showers which are associated with traffic snarl-ups.

Barricades erected near drainage trenches on Mombasa Road to enhance safety on Sunday, November 28, 2021.

KeNHA