Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) says the ongoing rains signify the onset of the much-awaited March-April-May long rains.

A statement from the Director of KMD David Gikungu says the downpour that was experienced in several parts of the country between March 10 and March 16 effectively ushered in the onset of the long rains season.

The same applies to East Africa, which generally has uniform weather pattern with marginal regional variations.

Areas that have not received any rains, he says, are expected to experience significant amounts of rains during this period. Among areas expected to record their first drops of rain include parts of the highlands east of the Rift Valley and south-eastern lowlands.

The north-eastern region is also expected to record rains between March 18 and March 31. However, the rains will be followed by short dry spells.

“The rains recorded during March 10 and March 16 marked the onset of the March-May 2025 long rains season, particularly for the highlands west of the Rift Valley, Lake Basin, Rift Valley, Nairobi and isolated areas over the highlands east of the Rift Valley, the Southern lowlands and parts of Isiolo County,” reads the statement.

“The north-western parts of Kenya and coastal regions are expected to receive erratic rainfall during the remaining part of March 2025. However, this may not meet the onset criteria. The peak of the season in the coastal region is expected to occur in May. The onset is likely to occur in April in both regions.” continued the report.

According to the weatherman’s report, isolated heavy rainfall events are likely to occur in some areas, notably over the highlands east and west of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi County. Other areas include the Lake Basin, the Rift Valley, the south-eastern lowlands and north-eastern Kenya.

People living in these regions have also been advised on the need to remain vigilant for potentially heavy downpours that can cause flooding, mudslides and landslides.

Last week Nyeri County Director of Meteorological Services John Muiruri had advised farmers to finalise preparing their farms for planting following the onset of the long rains. Muiruri said the heavy downpour being experienced in the county and other parts of the country signalled the beginning of the March-April-May rains.

On March 9 many Kenyans heaved a sigh of relief when the skies finally opened and gave farmers the greenlight to prepare for the planting season that usually commences in March.

Following the downpour, Muiruri said the country had formally entered the long rainy season and farmers should take advantage of the rains by planting crops on their farms.

“We had released an advisory earlier this year where we gave our predictions that the long rains will fall in either the second or third week of March. This is now true following the downpour that was witnessed from yesterday afternoon both in Nyeri and across many counties in the country. It is also true the rains will subside this Wednesday (March 12), ushering in a dry spell before picking up again in a few days.” he forecast.

He however, stated that the rains are expected to range from normal to below normal but will be fairly distributed.

• A Tell / KNA report / By Samuel Maina