The Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) has warned people living and working along the Kenyan coast to be careful as rough sea conditions are expected between September and December.
The authority said the period could come with strong winds, high waves, heavy rainfall and poor visibility, which could make it risky for people using the ocean.
In a public notice, KMA warned that the weather could affect vessels and people carrying out activities both at sea and along the coastline.
“Conditions could include strong winds, stormy seas, huge waves, heavy rainfall and poor visibility and which would pose a danger to vessels and individuals engaged in activities on the sea and along the coastal areas,” KMA stated.
The authority has warned the public to refrain from engaging in any maritime activities whenever weather conditions become unfavorable.
It has also asked boat owners and operators to ensure that their vessels are well secured, be it while sailing, anchored or docked.
Passengers and crew members are also being advised to wear life jackets while on board.
Fishermen and others whose occupations depend on the sea have been urged to exercise caution and postpone any activities which can be deferred during unfavorable weather conditions.
In addition, any vessel already on the seas is encouraged to check the weather reports and shift to safer places if need be.
The KMA has called upon the public to monitor weather and maritime safety reports from the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) and KMA.
Any maritime emergency should be reported to the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (RMRCC) at 0737 719 414 and 0721 368 313.
The warning comes as some parts of Mombasa have already experienced flooding following heavy rains.
Areas including Ziwalang’ombe, Inuka, Railway and Ziwani have reported flooding, affecting movement in some parts of the county.
Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Nassir recently announced the deployment of 3,000 young people across the county’s six sub-counties to help clear blocked drains, culverts and waterways in areas prone to flooding.
The county government has also restricted the mixing of ballast, sand and cement at construction sites as part of measures to prevent building materials from blocking drainage systems during heavy rains.