Sunny and dry weather conditions are expected to dominate most parts of the country as we get into the new year 2025 punctuated by occasional rainy days in some areas.
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, a few areas in the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, Central and Southern Rift Valley, as well as the Highlands East of the Rift Valley, the Coastal region, and the Southeastern lowlands, “may experience occasional rainy days during the forecast period.”
“This rainfall is likely to spread to several places in the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, and Centraland Southern Rift Valley by March,” says Dr. David Gikungu in the forecast and adds, “Temperatures are expected to be warmer than average across the entire country.”
The Weatherman is warning that the high temperatures expected in most parts of the country during January may lead to heat stress and heat-related discomforts, such as headaches and fatigue.
“The public is therefore advised to keep adequately hydrated and moderate outdoor activities, particularly during the afternoons, to avoid adverse effects of the heat,” says Dr.Gikungu.
Owing to the dry conditions, the Weather says that, water availability for both human and livestock needs is likely to decline in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) areas, “particularly in the northern parts of the country,” says Dr.Gikungu and urges communities in the ASALs to use the available water sparingly and to take advantage of the occasional rainfall and practice water harvesting so as to supplement their water needs.
The Weatherman says that the forecast is based on empirical statistical models, developed from the expected evolution of Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies (SSTA) over the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans.
The models indicate that the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently neutral, with Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) near to below average over the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean. The Indian Ocean Dipole is also neutral, with SSTs near average across most of the Indian Ocean.
Story by Judith Akolo
