Expect flash floods this month, Met warns

Weatherman warns of flash floods within parts of the country. [Gideon Maundu/Standard]

Kenyans have been told to expect flash floods this month as the rains continue.

Nairobi, Mombasa, Tana River, Kwale, Turkana, Taita Taveta, Mandera, Narok, Murang’a and Nyadarua are prone to flash floods whenever it rains heavily.

“These (rains) are expected to cause flash floods in isolated areas,” Kenya Meteorological Department said in its latest forecast.

It also warned that several parts of the country were likely to experience enhanced rainfall during the month under review. These include highlands west of Rift Valley, Lake Victoria basin, central Rift Valley, highlands east of the Rift Valley and Nairobi. 

Highlands West of the Rift Valley, including Kitale, Kericho, Nandi, Eldoret, Kakamega and the lake basin, Kisumu, Kisii, Busia, central Rift Valley that encompasses Nakuru, Narok and Naivasha, and the highlands east of Rift Valley, including Nyeri, Murang'a, Kiambu, Embu, and Meru will receive heavy rainfall.

Above average

Nairobi, Machakos, Makindu, Voi, Taveta will receive heavy or above average rainfall

Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir, several parts of the coastal strip, including Mombasa, Kilifi, Lamu, Tana River and Kitui are, however, likely to experience near average rainfall.

Meanwhile, the Nairobi County Government has begun to clear the city’s drainage system to alleviate effects of the rains.

During the two-month exercise, which will cost more than Sh50 million, sewer lines in the central business district, in and near markets as well as those in estates will be unclogged.

“We have already deployed a workforce of casuals across the county to clean all the 85 wards and we have also engaged sub-county administrators to help in the cleaning and unclogging of storm water drainage to avoid the flash floods witnessed in the past,” said Nairobi County Transport, Roads and Infrastructure executive Mohamed Dagane.