The weatherman predicts that Kenya will receive only a few weeks of rain for the rest of the year, followed by a hot and dry January.
The estimate is consistent with a new United Nations assessment, which names Kenya as one of the countries most likely to face extreme hunger early next year.
David Gikungu, director of the Meteorological Department, blamed the delayed rains on a phenomena known as a negative Indian Ocean Dipole, which refers to cold waters in the Indian Ocean near East Africa.
This results in dry weather in the region. “The delayed onset is as a result of the negative Indian Ocean Dipole that has been developing over the past few weeks,” he claimed.
Gikungu predicted that rains would begin next week or in the second week of November in most areas. The Coast, northeastern Kenya, the entire eastern Kenya, and Mt Kenya will all experience reduced rainfall.
“Rainfall is anticipated to be below the November-to-January long-term mean across most areas, except for the northern parts of Turkana county, where near-average rainfall is expected.
Temperatures are likely to be warmer than average throughout the country,” he said.
Gikungu said La Nina, which has in the past caused drought in east Africa, was also partly responsible for the expected depressed rains.
He warned the dry weather will affect crop production. “Forecasts suggest that weak La Nina conditions may develop from November and persist into early 2025,”
