Rains to continue with reduced intensity

A flooded section at City Stadium roundabout in Nairobi on November 14, 2017. The rains will continue. PHOTO | KANYIRI WAHITO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori counties are expected to have sunny intervals in the morning.
  • North eastern counties of Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Isiolo will continue to get morning rains.

The rains pounding most parts of the country will continue this week, though with reduced intensity, the weatherman says.

Kenya Meteorological Department Deputy Director Samwel Mwangi further said that some areas, including north western counties of Turkana, Pokot and Samburu, are expected to have sunny intervals the whole day, throughout this and next week.

Mr Mwangi said north eastern counties of Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Isiolo, which have been receiving heavy rainfall in the past few weeks, will continue to get morning rains and afternoon showers over a few places on Wednesday.

SUNNY
This, he said, will pave the way for sunny intervals from Thursday to Monday.

Central highlands, which cover the counties of Nairobi, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi, will have cloudy mornings with light rains, giving way to sunny intervals throughout the forecast period.

“The Coastal strip covering counties of Mombasa, Tana River, Kilifi, Lamu and Kwale are expected to get morning showers over a few places from today up to Friday as well as on Monday while Saturday and Sunday mornings are expected to have showers over several places,” the forecast read.

THUNDERSTORMS
Kitui, Makueni, Machakos and Taita-Taveta counties are expected to have rains in the morning and afternoon showers over a few places throughout the week and into the following week.

Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori counties are expected to have sunny intervals in the morning and afternoon showers and thunderstorms over a few places throughout the week and into the following week.

A similar weather pattern is expected in the counties of Kisii, Nyamira, Trans Nzoia, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi, Laikipia, Nakuru, Narok, Kajiado, Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia.

TRANSPORT
Meanwhile, the heavy rains pounding parts of Baringo County have paralysed transport on the Nginyang-Chemolingot road in Tiaty Sub–County.

This is after River Nginyang burst its banks.

Matatus plying the route were forced to wait for more than four hours for the water to subside at Nginyang Bridge. 

Governor Stanley Kiptis has already issued an alert to residents living in flood and landslide-prone areas to move to higher grounds to avert disasters.

“As a result of floods, several villages have been affected across the county.

"Baringo South Sub-County around Marigat irrigation scheme is the most affected with several submerged homesteads and cropland,” Mr Kiptis said.

EXAM
Meanwhile, the ongoing KCSE exams in four schools in Kitui County were delayed on Monday after the vehicle transporting the papers was swept away while crossing a river in Mwingi Central.

A secondary school principal and his driver escaped injury in the morning incident after the Land Rover they were using was swept away by the waters.

The Maths paper two and Biology, which were submerged in the floods, were recovered by locals.

Kitui County Commissioner Boaz Cherutich confirmed the incident, saying a rescue team was mobilised to ensure the exams were safely delivered to the schools. 

Reports by Collins Omulo, Florah Koech, Kanyali Boniface and Kitavi Mutua