Heavy Rain Alert: Kenya Met Issues Widespread Advisory Ahead of Short Rains
By Chemtai Kirui, NAIROBI,
The Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) has issued a national heavy-rainfall advisory, warning that several parts of the country will experience downpours exceeding 30 mm in 24 hours as the October–November–December short rains begin.
The advisory, issued on October 22 and valid from October 23 to 30, indicates that rainfall will intensify and spread to the north-eastern region from October 30 — marking the likely onset of the short rains across most parts of the country.
The advisory, issued on October 22 and labelled Heavy Rainfall Advisory No. 03/2025, covers counties within the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley (west and east of the Rift), the Highlands, Nairobi and some parts of the coast.
According to KMD, morning rains are already affecting the Lake Victoria region, and the activity is expected to intensify and spread.
“Rainfall currently affecting parts of the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley and Highlands west of the Rift Valley is expected to intensify to more than 30 mm in 24 hours and spread to the Highlands east of the Rift (including Nairobi),” the advisory reads.
Counties listed under higher risk include Kisumu, Siaya, Homabay, Busia, Kakamega, Nakuru, Narok, Nyandarua, Laikipia and Nairobi, among others.
Coastal counties such as Mombasa, Kilifi, Lamu and Kwale are also expected to receive heavy rainfall and strong winds as a residual tropical system moves toward the Kenyan coast.
The meteorological department has urged drivers, pedestrians and communities in low-lying or river-adjacent areas to exercise caution.
Flash floods, landslides and overflowing rivers are identified as likely hazards — particularly in hilly regions near the Aberdares and Mount Kenya slopes, and poorly drained urban zones.
The department has urged residents to be alert for floods and landslides, avoid walking or driving through moving water, and stay away from open fields and trees during storms.
In Nairobi and other informal settlements, heavy rainfall may lead to flooding of streets and homes, posing risks to residents and transport networks. Rural communities could also face crop damage, erosion and infrastructure failure.
Disaster-management teams at county level are on alert. KMD says the short-rains season has officially begun and that rainfall may persist for several weeks. Local governments in flood-prone areas are urged to monitor water levels, clear drainage channels and prepare shelters.
KMD continues to monitor weather systems over the Indian Ocean, including a weakened tropical depression, Cyclone Chenge, which is expected to bring sustained rainfall and gusty winds to the coast before dissipating.
The short rains, which normally run from October to December, are a key planting season for most highland and western farmers.
