Kenyans in several parts of the country have been warned to prepare for heavy rains from September, with the weather department saying the strengthening El Niño could bring floods and landslides.
The Kenya Meteorological Service Authority (KEMSA) said the rains will be above normal in all 47 counties between September and December.
The warning was contained in the October-December weather outlook released on Wednesday, August 26.
According to Kenya Met, the El Niño event developing in the central-eastern equatorial Pacific is continuing to strengthen. This is expected to influence the weather in Kenya in the coming months.
“According to the most recent update, the 2026 El Niño event continues to intensify across the central-eastern equatorial Pacific,” the department said.
But Kenyans will not all experience the rains at the same time.
Some parts of Western Kenya and the Rift Valley are expected to get the first rains in September. They include Nandi, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Siaya, Busia, Baringo, Nakuru, Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu.
Also, people living in Elgeyo-Marakwet, West Pokot, Kisii, Nyamira, Kericho, Bomet, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, and Narok counties are also expected to start experiencing rainfall in the month.
However, for Nairobi and other parts of Central Kenya, the onset is expected much later.
Some of the counties expected to get the rains include Nyandarua, Laikipia, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru and Embu counties. Nairobi is also among such counties.
Those in the Coast and Northern Kenya regions will also experience the same phenomenon whereby the rains will start coming in the month of October in Mombasa, Kwale, Lamu, Kilifi, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Isiolo counties.
People living in Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, Kajiado, and Taita-Taveta counties should be expecting rainfalls in the third and fourth weeks of October.
Weather Department has indicated that the rains will increase as the season progresses in particular in the regions of Central Kenya, the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin and Western Kenya.
This may not augur well for areas that are vulnerable to flooding if the rains will be as heavy as expected.
According to Kenya Met, the rainy season will bring increased temperatures in some parts of the country.
Counties on the coast and northern part of the country are set to experience high temperatures in October-December.
These increased temperatures are attributed to the southward movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
“High temperatures are due to the southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) associated with warm and humid air,” says Kenya Met.
The forecast gives farmers, residents and county authorities time to prepare for the expected rains, particularly in areas that have previously experienced floods and landslides.
Kenya Met is expected to issue further updates as the rainy season approaches, including changes in the expected timing and intensity of the rains.