Kenya’s long rains have arrived weeks ahead of schedule, soaking western, central, and highland regions since mid-February. Heavy downpours exceeding 20 mm over three consecutive days have already met official onset criteria in several counties, prompting farmers to rush planting while authorities issue flood alerts in low-lying areas.
The Kenya Meteorological Department attributes the early arrival to a strong phase of the Madden-Julian Oscillation pumping abundant moisture across the equator. Counties in the highlands west of the Rift Valley, Central Rift, and parts of Nairobi have recorded no seven-day dry spell since the initial heavy rains. South-eastern lowlands including Kitui and Makueni, together with the south Coast, joined the wet season in late February.
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