Kenya Heatwave: What You Need to Know

Nairobi County will continue experiencing high day-time temperatures of beyond 30 degrees Celsius in the period between February 20 and February 26, a report by the weather department indicates.

In a weather forecast released on Tuesday, February 20, the Kenya Meteorological Department stated that Nairobi is among the counties expected to have high temperatures in the period with dry and hot weather expected in most parts of the country.

Other counties that will experience the same, according to the weatherman, include Kiambu, Mombasa, Kajiado, Machakos, Embu, and parts of the northern frontier.

At the same time, the weatherman advised that some counties would experience low nighttime temperatures of below 10 degrees Celsius.

“High daytime temperatures exceeding 30°C expected in various counties, while some parts of certain counties may experience low nighttime temperatures below 10°C,” the Met Department outlook read.

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The forecast came at a time Nairobi residents were complaining of extremely high temperatures during the day and in some places at night.

Met dept advice to Nairobi residents
KMD urged Nairobi residents and people in areas likely to experience high temperatures to stay hydrated and protect themselves from sun rays.

“Make sure to stay hydrated and protect yourself from the sun’s rays during the hot days, and bundle up warmly for the cooler nights,” the Weatherman added.

Elsewhere, counties in the South Rift Valley, Lake Victoria Basin, Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, Southeastern lowlands, Coast, and Northeastern Kenya are expected to receive moderate rainfall.

Parts of Rift Valley and Nyanza regions (Lake Victoria Basin) are still receiving rainfall, with reports indicating that two children were on Monday, February 20, swept away by floods in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

Residents in Nairobi and other parts of the metropolitan area have in the past two weeks raised concerns over the “unusually high temperatures” rocking their houses and places of work and often causing discomfort.

In a weather outlook released in early January 2024, the weatherman warned Nairobi residents of the heatwaves, stating that they were likely to experience heat stress and headaches in some instances.

At the time, the department also warned that temperatures were generally expected to be extreme and even surpass 37 degrees.

“The high temperatures expected during the month of January in most parts of the country may lead to heat stress and heat related discomforts such as headaches and fatigue,” the report read in part.

But the heatwaves are not a preserve of Nairobi or Kenya. In 2023, United States-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted that despite the record high temperatures recorded in 2023, 2024 could be even hotter.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also held the same stance, warning of even warmer conditions in 2024 than the temperatures recorded in 2023.

As a result, phenomenon such as wildfires have been on the rise, with places such as the United States feeling the heat of changing climatic conditions.

In 2024, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned of a new era he termed “global boiling” in reference to unprecedented effects of climate change.