Jomo Kenyatta International Airport had its operations disrupted by hail storms Wednesday evening following a heavy downpour in Nairobi and environs.
Kenya Airports Authority spokesman Dominic Ngigi confirmed the action was taken as a standard procedure to ensure safety of passengers and aircraft.
"In the interest of safety and as a standard procedure the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority was forced to divert flights to the nearest safe landing airports," Ngigi said in a telephone interview.
He explained that pilots while planning flights always cater for measures that can allow flights to land in safer grounds.
Nairobi and some parts of the country have been experiencing heavy rainfall in the evenings resulting flooding and damage to critical infrastructure.
Forecast for the next four days 3rd to 4th May, 2012:Courtesy of Kenya Meteorological Department.
The forecast for 3rd and 4th May, 2012 indicates:
⢠Maintenance of wet conditions in the western parts, the central highlands and
Nairobi area but with reduced rainfall intensities;
⢠A slight pick-up in rainfall activities in south coast at the beginning of the forecast
period;
⢠Reduction of rainfall activities in the north western, northeastern, south eastern
lowlands and coastal strip in the second half of the forecast period;
⢠A slight increase in daytime (maximum) temperatures in the most parts of the
country with the gradual decrease in cloud cover.
