The Department of Meteorology, Murang’a County has cautioned local residents to brace themselves for chilly weather in the month of July.
The County Director of Meteorology Paul Murage said the temperatures are expected to go as low as 7 Degrees Celsius in some parts of the county.
Speaking to KNA in his office, Murage said many parts of the county will remain dry but cautioned that the temperatures will be extremely low.
“Just few parts of the county will receive less than 10 millimeters of rain during this month. In the upper zones the temperatures will be much lower compared to other zones,” asserted Murage.
Currently, the director noted that many parts of the county are experiencing temperatures of about 12 Degrees Celsius.
He advised local residents to wear warm clothes and to exercise frequently so as to withstand the cold temperatures.
“Eating of indigenous foods should be part of every diet as they are inexpensive and are known to protect the body against illnesses,” he further added.
In the recent past, many parts of the country have experienced very low temperatures which may bring an upsurge of respiratory conditions
The meteorological department also warned people with underlying health conditions to exercise caution during this time of cold weather.
“The cold should be a concern to people with health conditions like asthma, pneumonia, common cold and other respiratory diseases as cold coupled with dust from the ongoing construction of roads tend to exaggerate the severity of such conditions,” Murage noted.
Children and the elderly should also be taken care of during this cold spell because they are vulnerable to respiratory diseases.
In the event of warming themselves up, Murage advised charcoal jiko users to observe precaution and only use jikos in well ventilated rooms to avoid carbon monoxide production which is lethal.
The department further cautions motorists to be careful on the roads as most areas will experience fog formation that may lead to poor visibility that may lead to road carnage.
On the flip side, Murage noted that the little showers being experienced will sustain the crops and there will be abundant foliage for animals as there’s less evaporation taking place.
He however advised farmers to liaise with the agricultural officers as they may experience post-harvest challenges as a result of the continued low temperatures
“There won’t be enough sun to dry the farm produce to 13 per cent moisture content and so as not to incur losses, farmers should seek technical support from agricultural officers on how to dry their produce,” Murage observed.
By Florence Kinyua and Anita Omwenga
