The Kenya Meteorological Department (Kenya Met) has issued a four-day heavy rainfall advisory affecting 22 counties across the country.
In a statement on Friday, February 20, Kenya Met warned that intensified rainfall is expected between February 21 and February 24, 2026, with several regions likely to experience heavy downpours.
The department said the ongoing rains are set to increase in intensity beginning Saturday.
“The rainfall being experienced over the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley and Highlands west and East of Rift Valley including Nairobi is expected to intensify to more than 20mm in 24hrs on 21st February 2026. The heavy rainfall is likely to intensify to more than 30mm in 24hrs on 22d, 23rd and 24th February 2026 and spread to the Southeastern lowlands and the Coastal region especially south Coast. It is projected to reduce in intensity on 25th February 2026,” the statement read.
According to the advisory, the heavy rains will initially affect areas around the Lake Victoria Basin and Rift Valley before extending to southeastern lowlands and parts of the Coast, particularly the south Coast.
The counties listed as areas of concern include Migori, Nyamira, Bungoma, Kakamega, Embu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Tharaka-Nithi, Kisii, Narok, Kajiado, Makueni, Machakos, Nairobi, Kericho, Bomet, Taita-Taveta, Kitui, Kwale, Mombasa, southern Tana River and parts of Kilifi.
Kenya Met further cautioned residents to remain vigilant due to the risk of flooding and dangerous conditions.
“Residents in all the mentioned areas are advised to be on the lookout for potential floods. Flood waters may appear in places where it has not rained heavily, especially downstream. People are advised to avoid driving through or walking in moving water or open fields. Updates will be provided promptly if there are any changes,” the statement added.
This comes days after Kenya Met released its weekly weather forecast warning of continued rainfall in several regions and rising temperatures in others across the country.
In its outlook for the period between February 17 and 23, the department highlighted areas that were expected to receive rainfall, regions that were likely to experience hot daytime conditions, and zones that were to record significantly low night-time temperatures.
According to the forecast, counties in western and central parts of Kenya were to continue receiving rainfall, while northern regions were expected to remain largely dry.
“Rains are expected to continue over Western Kenya, the Central Highlands including Nairobi, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, and parts of the South-eastern Lowlands.
“In contrast, North-eastern and North-western Kenya are likely to experience generally sunny and dry conditions,” the department said.
The forecast further showed that several parts of the country were to experience high daytime temperatures, particularly in lowland and coastal regions.
“Daytime (maximum) temperatures above 30°C are expected in several parts of the country, including the Coast, the South-eastern Lowlands, North-eastern, and North-western Kenya,” the department noted.
At the same time, some high-altitude areas were to experience cold nights, with temperatures expected to drop below 10 degrees Celsius.
“Night-time (minimum) temperatures below 10°C are expected in parts of the Central Highlands, the Central Rift Valley, Western Kenya, and areas near Mt. Kilimanjaro,” the department added.
