EL Nino not confirmed, says official

Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) has allayed fears that an El Nino storm was eminent in the country.

Speaking in Migori town over the weekend, Assistant Meteorological Director Ayub Shaka said the department was still monitoring the weather patterns in the country before it could come to a conclusion that El Nino was eminent.

“We know there have been reports concerning rains. However, as the department charged with confirming such incidences, we cannot confirm yet if El Nino will be witnessed,” he said.

According to Shaka, although there have been global projections of a high possibility of an El Nino developing to full maturity in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, the department will only be able to confirm whether it will actually happen in July or August.

He therefore called on Kenyans not to panic over reports about the storm and wait for the department to confirm it.

At the same time, the officer allayed fears of deaths or destruction to property explaining that not all El Nino storms come with intense rainfall.

PROPERTY DESTROYED

Over the past few months, there have been reports in the media about the country expecting El Nino, which was last experienced in 1997/98. During this time, many lives were lost and property destroyed.

According to Shaka, the department was preparing a comprehensive report on the El Nino phenomenon.  The report on the emerging weather patterns will be issued to Kenyans on a regular basis to prepare them for possible emergencies.

PLANTING TIME

He further called on farmers to seek information on changing weather patterns so that they can tell the right crops and time to plant them in particular regions. This way, they are sure of better production.

Weather preparedness, he said, would also help them protect themselves against opportunistic diseases, which they may acquire while working on the farms.

He was speaking during a seminar convened to sensitise farmers in Migori County on changing weather patterns and how to cope up with them.