The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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The Kiambu County Meteorological Department has predicted an upcoming increase in rainfall for the next four days. Magdalene Gateri, the County Director of Meteorological Services, anticipates isolated heavy rains from Friday to Monday, January 8, 2024. Providing a weekly forecast spanning from January 2nd to January 8th, Gateri highlighted the likelihood of occasional cloudiness accompanied by rainfall during the weekend.
Current heavy rains are affecting specific areas like Kiamworia, Kigajo ward in Gatundu South, Kagwe area, and Githunguri areas. Gateri urged residents to capitalize on the rain by harvesting rainwater. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s weather outlook for January 2024 also indicates that regions like the Highlands East of the Rift Valley and Central Kenya, including Kiambu, can expect periodic rainfall with intermittent breaks during the month. The expected rainfall is projected to be close to or above the long-term average for the same month in previous years.
Recalling the landslides and mudslides in Kiambu during the October-November-December Seasonal Rainfall, Bernard Chanzu, representing the Director of Kenya Meteorological Department, outlined potential impacts in agriculture, food security, water resources, and the environment for this month.
He encouraged the public to take advantage of the sunny and dry conditions in the next three months for crop harvesting and land preparations. Additionally, Chanzu stressed the importance of rainwater harvesting and storage practices, as well as the potential positive effects on hydropower generation and groundwater recharge for geothermal power production.
However, he cautioned that water availability for both human and livestock use may decline further in arid and semi-arid areas due to dry weather conditions. Four days earlier, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC) had forecasted heavy rains in the greater Horn of Africa between January and March 2024, following the recent El Niño rains.
