In the wake of sunny and dry conditions across the country, experts at the Kenya Meteorological Department have indicated that rainfall is expected in the coming three weeks.
A Kenya Met expert who spoke to the press on Thursday, 27 February, revealed that rains were expected to begin in various parts of the country from the third week of March.
According to the meteorologist, the rains are projected to be heavy and are expected to last for five months, from mid-March to late July this year.
Commenting on the matter, the expert advised farmers preparing for the planting season to begin early preparations, including tilling their land, in anticipation of the rains.
“For the first and second weeks of March, those who prefer to practise dry planting can proceed, as we expect the rains to begin in the third week of March,” said the meteorologist.
“We expect the rains to start in mid-March, particularly in the third week, and continue through April before subsiding in July,” he added.
The announcement follows concerns from some farmers who have expressed frustration over the delayed rains due to the ongoing dry conditions across the country.
According to some farmers, they were considering halting farming activities this season due to the absence of the short occasional rains usually experienced at the start of the year.
"Every farmer is now ready for the planting season. However, the weather has been unusually severe for an extended period, and it seems there is a change in the climate this year," said one farmer.
Meanwhile, the concerns come on the back of the Kenya Meteorological Department's warning to Kenyans about hot and dry conditions for the next week.
In its weekly weather advisory to Kenyans, Kenya Met cautioned Kenyans to brace for extremely hot weather conditions between February 25 and March 3 with daytime temperatures expected to soar above 30°C.
"Hot and sunny conditions for most of the country, with daytime temperatures soaring above 30°C. In Central Kenya, Rift Valley, South-eastern lowlands, and Lake Victoria Basin temperatures are expected to be between 25°C to 30°C," said Kenya Met.
"For the nighttime, temperatures in the parts of Central Kenya, Rift Valley, and around Mount Kilimanjaro will drop below 10°C," the meteorological department added.
