Kenya forecasts flash floods in some areas after dry spell

NAIROBI, march 18 (Xinhua) -- Kenya meteorologists on Monday forecast flash floods due to heavy rainfall towards the end of march after a prolonged dry spell across the east African nation.

Stella Aura, acting director of Meteorological Services said that cases of flooding in flood-prone areas such as Budalangi and Kano in Western Kenya and landslides in Muranga, central Kenya are likely to happen in the long rainy season of from march to May.

"The National Disaster Operations Centre should be on standby in order to ensure mitigation of any negative impacts that may arise," Aura told journalists in his office.

She noted that the floods will also cover Central Rift Valley and Central highlands of Kenya.

Aura however said that the spatial and temporal distribution of the march to May seasonal rainfall is expected to be good over most of the western part of the country, but generally poor over the eastern part especially in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs).

She noted that in northwestern Kenya and other ASALs where poor rainfall performance is expected, problems related to water scarcity and lack of pasture for livestock is expected to increase following the poor rainfall performance observed during the October-November-December 2018 short rain season.

Aura called for the contingency plans and strategies to help avert incidences that are likely to destroy property and kill people.