Weatherman appeals to farmers to prepare fields for planting

The Kenya Meteorological Service says the long rains season has begun but it is yet to pick up.

Deputy Director of Meteorological Services Samuel Mwangi says several regions including Ngong’ in Kajiado County and parts of Western reported hailstorms during the downpour on Sunday.

He is appealing to farmers to continue preparing the fields in readiness for planting. According to the Five Days forecast, Nairobi area and counties in the Central highlands including Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Nyeri, Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu and Tharaka will experience low temperatures of 8 degrees Celsius to maximums of 30 degrees Celsius.

The afternoons are expected to experience showers as the long rains season begins.

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Last month, Kenya Meteorological Department Acting Director Stella Aura said the spatial and temporal distribution of the March to May 2019 seasonal rainfall is expected to be generally good over most of the western sector but generally poor over the eastern sector of the country, especially in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands.

Farmers in food growing areas of Western, Nyanza and Rift Valley were advised to take advantage of the favourable weather.

“Farmers are advised to liaise with the State Department of Agriculture for advice on the appropriate seeds to be planted. The expected timely onset in most agricultural areas is conducive for agriculture” said the weatherman.

The rains she said are expected to subside in May 2019 with most parts of the country experiencing depressed rainfall except the western, central Rift Valley and central Kenya regions which are likely to experience slightly enhanced rainfall.

“In April 2019, near-normal to above-normal rainfall is expected over most parts of the country and more so in western Kenya, central Rift Valley, Northern Kenya (Marsabit, Moyale) and the central highlands including Nairobi. Depressed rainfall is, however, likely to occur over Northwestern Kenya’ she said.

Farmers and pastoral communities in areas expected to receive depressed rainfall were asked to seek advise from experts on drought-tolerant crops.