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Several counties put on high alert of expected heavy rainfall this weekend

By Amina Wako December 6th, 2019 1 min read

The latest weather forecast has put 33 counties on high alert of possible heavy rains starting Thursday (yesterday) through the weekend.

Head of Meteorological Department Stella Aura had said the rains would intensify until Saturday.

HEAVY RAINFALL

The intensity would then reduce towards the end of the weekend on Sunday.

Some of the counties where heavy rainfall is expected are Narok, Kajiado, Bomet, Kericho, Nakuru, Migori, Nyamira, Kisii, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, Busia, West Pokot, Uasin Gishu, Baringo and Nandi.

Others are Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nairobi, Nyeri, Embu, Meru Laikipia, Kiambu, Nyandarua, Murang’a, Kitui, Taita Taveta, Machakos and Makueni.

“Residents in all the mentioned areas are advised to be on the lookout for potential floods,” Aura said in an advisory sent on her behalf by deputy director David Gikungu.

FATAL LANDSLIDE

Since the onset of the heavy downpour, which have so far left 132 people dead, the Met department has been updating Kenyans on daily basis on the weather changes.

The department has also advised Kenyans to avoid driving through or walking in moving water or open fields and not to shelter under trees and near grilled windows to minimize exposure to lightning strikes.

People on landslide prone areas, especially over the slopes of the Aberdare ranges, Mt Kenya and other hilly areas over the Western region, have also been put on high alert.

The worst incident occasioned by heavy rainfall is the landslide in West Pokot that left more than 45 Kenyans dead.