NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 30 — The Kenya Meteorological Department has forecast continued rainfall alongside high daytime temperatures above 30°C in the Coast and northeastern regions into the New Year.
The agency also warned of chilly nights dipping below 10°C in high-altitude areas near Mt Kilimanjaro in a weather bulletin covering the period from December 30 to January 5.
In the weekly outlook, KMD said rainfall will persist over several parts of the country at the start of the week before giving way to predominantly sunny and dry conditions across most regions.
“Rains are expected to continue over a few areas at the beginning of the week, mainly in the Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, the Rift Valley, Lake Victoria Basin, parts of the north-western and north-eastern regions, the coastal region and the south-eastern lowlands,” KMD said on Tuesday.
“Isolated thunderstorms and heavy rainfall may occur in these areas before conditions transition to sunny and dry weather for the remainder of the week,” it added.
According to the forecast, hot conditions will dominate large parts of the country, with daytime temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius at the Coast, in north-eastern and north-western Kenya, parts of the south-eastern lowlands, the Rift Valley and Western Kenya.
In contrast, residents in higher altitude areas should brace for cold nights, with minimum temperatures expected to fall below 10 degrees Celsius in parts of the Central Highlands, the North and Central Rift Valley, Western Kenya and areas near Mt Kilimanjaro.
The outlook comes as transport authorities, farmers and disaster response agencies remain on alert following recent episodes of heavy rainfall that triggered flooding and disrupted road networks in some regions.
KMD has advised the public to monitor daily weather updates and take necessary precautions, particularly in areas prone to flooding and lightning, even as conditions gradually shift towards drier weather in early January.
