Meteorological department launches 47 weather stations

The Kenya Meteorological Department has finalized plans to establish weather stations in the 47 counties.

Speaking in Kisumu during the ongoing Conference on Metrological Research, Nicholas Maingi, an officer from the department, says that the program is now set to be rolled out in 2016.

Maingi added that at least three automated machines will be placed in strategic places in counties and to collect accurate weather data.

Maingi further noted that in the past, the department did not have sophisticated equipment but with the current improvements, they have better equipment and are even running numerical models where the state of the atmosphere is being put in mathematical form.

He further noted that every hour, with the new development, there will be readings of weather in every county.

Maingi is now urging county governments to partner with the Kenya Meteorological Services in terms of setting up infrastructure needed to house the equipment.

Currently, the national government is running 70 automatic weather stations and 38 manned ones.

The Kenya Meteorological Department in the recent past issued an advisory concerning the El Nino rains alongside a list of areas within Nairobi that were likely to face severe flashfloods.

The department also released procedures to help minimize the impact of the floods and further advising people living in flood prone areas to relocate and move their property to higher and safer ground.

Kenyans were also advised to unclog household and storm drainage systems to allow easy passage of water beside reinforcing and repairing weak and damaged structures and ensure proper waste disposal to prevent disease outbreak and report any destruction after a storm.