In rare fashion, Kenya begun to recieve rains in February , a phenomenon that has puzzled farmers.
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, the recent rains in some regions of the country are caused by Cyclone Batsirai, which made landfall in Madagascar on Saturday.
Dr. Richard Mwita, Assistant Director of Meteorological Services, said in an interview that while Kenya is not directly affected by cyclones in the Indian Ocean because of her latitude of 0 degrees, the cyclones suck moisture from the Congo Basin and draw it to Kenya, where it falls as rain.
“Cyclones only affect places up to 5 degrees north and south of the Equator,” he explained.
“This is because winds are deflected northwards or southwards at the equator, thus the cyclone is destined to drift southwards away from Kenya.”
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department’s seven-day forecast, most of the country will be dry, with light to moderate rainfall expected in a few areas in the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Central and South Rift Valley, the South-eastern lowlands, the Highlands East of the Rift Valley, and the Coast.
