The just-started March-April-May rains will only pour for 30 to 45 days in most of Kitui, the Kenya Meteorological Department has said.
County department director Daniel Mbithi on Saturday attributed the expected conditions to weak La Nina conditions and a neutral Indian Ocean Dipole.
“Occasional rainfall is expected in early March followed by a dry spell,” he said.
The actual onset of the seasonal rains is expected between March 25 and April 7, and the cessation will be experienced between May 8 and 21.
The MAM rainfall forecast further indicated that the long rains will be near to below normal in most of Kitui county.
“The distribution is expected to be poor and fair over most parts of the county with a chance of prolonged dry spells and cases of isolated storms,” Mbithi said.
Only farmers in the upper zone that will receive between 300mm and 427 mm of rainfall should grow drought-tolerant maize and maize varieties, he added.
On March 18, the Kenya Meteorological Department stated that the March-April- May long rains have begun in some parts of the country, with the rest set to start soon.
Met stated that the onset of the rains is characterised by a wet spell with at least 20mm of rainfall over three consecutive days and no dry spell of at least seven days within the following 21 days.
“For the Northern part of the country, the accumulated rainfall should be at least 10 mm over three consecutive days,” it added.
The department noted that it confirmed onset of the rains between March 10 and March 16, at the Highlands West of Rift Valley, Lake Victoria Basin, Rift Valley, Nairobi and parts of the Highlands East of the Rift Valley, Southeastern Lowlands and parts of Isiolo County.
It said rainfall increased compared to March 3 to March 9, especially in the Southeastern Lowlands and parts of Northeastern Kenya.
