The Kenya Meteorological Department has issued a fresh warning of moderate to heavy rainfall expected in Nairobi and surrounding counties within the next 24 hours, raising concerns over possible flooding and transport disruptions in the capital.
In a rainfall advisory released on Thursday afternoon, the department indicated that the anticipated downpour will begin around 9:00pm Thursday and continue into Friday morning, March 13. The weather alert comes barely a week after heavy rains triggered flooding and traffic disruptions in several parts of Nairobi.
“Moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in parts of Nairobi and surrounding counties over the next 24 hours,” the meteorological department said in its update.
According to the forecast, the bulk of the rainfall will affect areas within the highlands east of the Rift Valley. Counties expected to experience showers and thunderstorms include Nyeri, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Embu, Meru, Kiambu, Tharaka-Nithi, Laikipia, and Nyandarua.
The department noted that residents in these areas should expect cloudy morning conditions before intermittent sunny intervals. However, light rainfall may still occur in high-altitude areas even during the breaks, while showers and thunderstorms are expected to intensify again in the afternoon.
Other regions across the country are also likely to experience unstable weather conditions. In western Kenya, counties within the Lake Victoria Basin, including Kisumu, Kakamega, Bungoma, and Siaya, are forecast to receive scattered showers and thunderstorms tonight and again later in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, coastal counties such as Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu, and Tana River are expected to experience light showers during the night, with more sustained rainfall likely through Friday morning and afternoon, particularly along the south coast.
The advisory follows a broader seven-day weather outlook issued earlier this week covering the period between March 10 and March 16. The forecast warned of increased rainfall across several regions, including the Central Highlands, the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, western Kenya, the south-eastern lowlands, and the south coast.
“Morning rains are likely to occur over a few places. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are expected over a few to several places. Night showers are likely to occur over a few places,” the department said in its weekly forecast.
Weather experts have cautioned that the ongoing rainfall signals the onset of Kenya’s March–May long rains season, which is typically associated with increased precipitation across many parts of the country.
Authorities have urged residents, particularly those living in flood-prone areas, to remain alert and take precautionary measures. Motorists have also been advised to exercise caution on the roads due to reduced visibility and slippery surfaces that often accompany heavy rainfall.
With the ground still saturated from recent storms, the expected downpour could worsen flooding in low-lying areas if drainage systems become overwhelmed.
