CHAPTER 16: CLIMATOLOGY

PPL

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 OBJECTIVES
 To understand causes of various meteorological conditions in
East AFRICA
 To understand distributions of average weather in different
areas in East Africa in different months
 To understand distributions of weather hazards and times of
highest frequencies at different Aerodromes

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 GENERAL CIRCULATION
 If the earth had a uniform surface, and not rotating
 the flow of air (or circulation) would rising at the equator and
settling and cooling over the poles.
 Much more intense insolation received at the equator than at
the poles.
 at the equator, the air is warmed, expands creates low pressure
at the surface.
 At the poles, due to the low surface temperature, air subsides
 Hence a general movement of air towards the poles at high
levels
 At the surface the flow of air would be from the high surface
pressure at the poles towards the low surface pressure at the
equator.
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 GENERAL CIRCULATION cont…
 The circulation realised give rise to the following
 Equatorial Low (Equatorial Trough)
 Subtropical Highs
 Trade Winds
 Westerly Winds
 Easterly winds
 Polar Front Depressions

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 FEATURES INFLUENCING EAST AFRICA
WEATHER
 Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
 Zone over which two airstreams consisting of North East Trade
and South East trade winds meet
 Covers a fairly large area over which the air generally rising and
clouds forming
 It is a belt round the globe and its position moves with the
position of the sun
 Monsoon
 Over large continents in summer a large thermal low develops
which controls the circulation of air.
 Sub Tropical Highs
 Mascarine High, Arabian High, Azores High and St. Hellena
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high, Mozambique channel
 INFLUENCING EAST AFRICA WEATHER
cont..
 Tropical Revolving Storms
 Tropical disturbances that develop greater surface winds than
other tropical or extra - tropical disturbances.
 The violent winds and associated tidal waves are a serious
hazard to shipping.
 Tropical revolving storms known by different names in
different regions.
 The common names are:-
 Tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean
 Hurricanes in North region
 Typhoon in Northwest Pacific
 Willy - willy in Western Australia.

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 POSITION OF ITCZ

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 NE MONSOON

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 SE MONSOON

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 TROPICAL REVOLVING STORMS

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 CLIMATOLOGY OF EAST AFRICA
• East Africa
– covers an area of 1.5 million square kilometres astride the
equator and
– runs from 120S to about 50N and bounded by longitude 29
0E and 420E.

• Due to the large diversity of topographic features in

East Africa
– a wide range of climatic conditions experienced.
– Ranging from the
• hot and humid coastal regions to the arid zones of North Eastern
Kenya and the snow-capped mountains.

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 CAUSE OF CLIMATE
• Major cause of climate in East Africa
– the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
– North to South or South to North movements
determines
• type of wind flow observed during a particular period of the year.
• Topographic feature greatly distort the general
pattern of the ITCZ,
• Introducing their own climatic condition
• Hence the seasons in East Africa cannot be taken to
strictly follow the ITCZ pattern.

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 SEASONS IN EAST AFRICA
• JANUARY
• East Africa is predominantly under a North-easterly wind
flow
– Turning to Northerly over the Kenyan coast and become
North Westerly upon crossing the Equator
• Inland however
– the thermal low over Central Africa and Congo regions does
dictate the wind flow
• that North easterly regime maintains its direction.
• North easterly wind regime originates from the continental high pressure
over Asia
– hence fairly dry.

20 99Referred to as the North East monsoon in East Africa. 3/13/2012

• Flying School-JOAOK
 SEASONS IN EAST AFRICA

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 SEASONS IN EAST AFRICA cont..
JULY
• Region predominately under a South-easterly wind flow
• Turning Southerly over the Kenyan coast
• Becoming South westerly upon crossing the equator especially over
Somalia and the horn of Africa
• The Ethiopian highlands, heat up so much
– part of the South Easterly flow maintains its direction even after crossing
the equator.
• The South easterly wind regime
– originates from the maritime Mascarine anticyclone in the Indian Ocean
– Fairly moist as compared with regime in January.
• Madagascar island acts as a shadow effect
– most of the moisture is deposited on the Eastern side of it
– therefore there is very little moisture in flux into East Africa.
• The South easterly wind regime
– referred to as the South East monsoon of East Africa.
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 SEASONS IN EAST AFRICA cont..

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 SEASONS IN EAST AFRICA cont..
APRIL AND OCTOBER
 These are transition periods
 N.E trade winds and S.E trade winds converge in the equatorial
zones.
 ITCZ has its influence in East Africa hence the long rains season
(March, April, May)
 and the short rain season (October, November, December).

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 SEASONS IN EAST AFRICA cont..

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 SEASONS IN
 Seasons realized
EAST AFRICA cont..
 The hot-season (Jan-Feb)
 The warmest and the driest of all.
 The predominant wind flow is North-Easterly which is fairly dry.
 The long rain season (March - May)
 Main growing season and about half of the mean annual rainfall falls
 Low level convergence of N.E & S.E trades takes place.
 The cool-season (June-September)
 Characterized by mainly drizzly precipitation especially in the highlands East of
the Rift valley.
 Over Western Kenya, a local rainfall maximum occurs during this season.
 The short rain season (October-December)
 Half of the rainfall of the long rains is experienced.
 Four regimes are common to Kenya and Uganda.
 In other tropical East Africa regions (North and South),
 only one rainy season noticeably. E.g. in Southern Tanzania South of 40S The rains set in
October and continue up to April.

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 EAST AFRICAN WEATHER (KENYA)
 Divided in regions
 North Eastern Region, plus Turkana, Marsabit, Isiolo and Tana
River Districts
 Nyanza and Western Regions
 Rift Valley Region (excluding Turkana District)
 Nairobi Districts, Central and Eastern Regions (excluding
Marsabit and Isiolo Districts)
 Coast Regions (excluding Tana River District)

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North Eastern region, Turkana, Marsabit,
Isiolo & Tana River Districts
 Most of the area low-lying, hot & dry
 Max temp often above 350 C, March being the hottest month
Minimum Temp generally above 200 C
 Rainfall almost everywhere below 500 mm & less than 250 mm
in many parts
 Violent but generally short-lived storms may occur in the
afternoon or evening during MAM & OND
 Severe squalls accompanied by thick rising sand may sometimes
reduce visibility to few metres especially near lake Turkana
 Low clouds form early morning in eastern areas & over high
ground during South East Monsoon & Marsabit mountain often
29 covered
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 Nyanza & Western Regions
 Conditions vary considerably from hot & relatively
low-lying plains north & south of Kisumu
 With annual rainfall only about 1000 mm
 To the hills of Kakamega & Kisii where nights are
cool & afternoon temperatures not too high
 Annual rainfall be over 1750 mm
 Well marked Lake Breeze near Lake Victoria keeps
temperature down in the afternoon
 From October to March max temp at Kisumu exceeds 300 C

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 Rift Valley Region (excluding Turkana
District)
 Altitudes above 6000 feet has large diurnal range of temperature at
times over 200 C during hot dry season
 Annual rainfall generally over 1000 mm with as much as 1750 mm in
Kericho
 some parts like Naivasha are rather dry
 Western Districts
 Trans-Nzoia & Uasin Gishu main rainy season is from April to September &
August being the wettest
 Further east & south April is the wettest with slight maxima
in August & November
 January in all cases the driest
 Most rainfall during the afternoon when showers &
thunderstorms often develop over the hills
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 Rift Valley Region (excluding Turkana
District) cont..
 Severe hailstorms may occur in the evening
 Narok & Kajiado are dry with annual rainfall
below 500 mm throughout Kajiado District
 During cool season, weather often cloudy throughout
the day although no rain falls
 Very hot from October to April in low-lying areas
 Magadi frequently records temperature of over 400 C with
night temperature not falling much below 250 C

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 Nairobi Districts, Central & Eastern
Regions (excluding Marsabit & Isiolo)
 Most the area has daily range of temperature of about 150 C during
hot, dry season (mid December – mid March)
 Main rainy season (MAM) secondary rainy season (OND)
 Parts of Eastern Region
 November usually the wettest month of the year
 Afternoon or evening showers & thunderstorms may develop but
much rain fall during night & early morning
 June to August being cloudy & cool but generally dry
 Day time temperature in Nairobi sometimes do not reach 200 C &
night temperature may fall to 50 C
 September and early October warmer and sunny
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 January to March being the hottest months
 Nairobi Districts, Central & Eastern
Regions (excluding Marsabit & Isiolo)
cont..
 Most of the year mornings are often overcast
especially around Nairobi (low clouds i.e stratus)
 Fog sometimes occur mainly on the plains south-
east of Nairobi
 Average annual rainfall about 875 mm in Nairobi
but low-lying parts of Eastern Region much drier.

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 Coast regions (excluding Tana
River)
 Temperature fairly high during day & night with diurnal
variation of only about 7-90 C
 Afternoon temperature usually exceed 300 C during January
to March & night temperature no falling much below 250 C
 Coolest months being July and August with afternoon temp
about 280 C & night temp as low as 200 C
 Wettest months April and May & driest being January and
February
 Light & generally short-lived showers may develop during
morning in most months of the year
 From Cumulus clouds with tops well above 00 C
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 Coast regions (excluding Tana River)
cont..
 During rainy seasons (April to June and October and
November)
 There are occasions of continuous rain for several hours and
sometimes may last a whole day
 Taita District rather hot and dry
 Voi altitude about 2000 ft and 100 miles inland has average
annual rainfall about 500 mm while Mombasa has over 1100
mm
 Afternoon showers develop inland
 Considerable rainfall occurs in November and December than
in April & May
 Afternoon temperatures may be as high as on the coast but
36 nights generally cooler inland
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