Situated
in the Southern hemisphere, Kenya
experiences seasons directly reverse to that of Europe
and all other localities above the equator. Kenya
is geographically located and embarked on the north by Ethiopia
and Somalia,
on the south by Tanzania,
and on the west by Uganda.
Although Kenya
is within close proximity to the equator, yearly rainfall is very minimal and
also diverse therefore becoming very hard to predict. This is because the
inter-tropical belt of cloud and rain passes across the country fairly quickly
in April and October. Because the predominant seasonal winds; the north and
south monsoons, have a typical pathway that will normally bypass vast areas of
land before actually reaching Kenya.
Due to the decline in temperature with altitude, much of Kenya features
climates that are typically subtropical or temperate. These can commonly be
related to those is southern Britain,
California or summer in France as to the typical equatorial climates in
most places of Africa. Features common to equatorial climates such as
constant high temperatures and high relative humidity are only experienced in
the coastal regions of Kenya,
and because of cooling sea breezes and lower hours of sunshine they are even
less domineering then most other regions with a similar climate.
As
an essential rule, Kenya
experiences two, long dry seasons then various wet seasons in November and
December and again in March and May. Lake Victoria is the wettest region of Kenya however
the coastal areas still feature excessive precipitation with up to 1000mm
annual in various places. The average temperature will frequently stay mild throughout
the rainy period apart from the mountainous districts which will commonly drop
below freezing.
The country can be divided broadly into three climatic regions, each with
certain features of equatorial climates; the coastal
regions with its tropical humidity, the savannah, with its dried out heat and
highlands or mountainous areas with cool refreshing airs.
Coastal Climate
The coast of Kenya
experiences a tropical climate and even though at specific times of the year
the humidity is awfully high, the soothing sea breezes guarantee enjoyable and comforting
conditions. With average sea temperatures rarely dropping under 26°C the all year round conditions
for swimming are magnificent.
Excessive
climates create the Kenyan coast into an ideal location for a relaxing beach
vacation. Mombasa;
an extremely popular beachside resort features average temperatures between 23°C
to 30°C annually. In months prior or after the wet season visitors can expect
the benefits of dry warm days creating an ideal day for the beach or other
outdoor activities. The months of April and May, yet experience the most precipitation
throughout the year on the coast so if roasting in the sun or outdoor leisure’s
are your idea of a perfect vacation it’s a good idea to avoid the coastal areas
throughout these months.
Savannah
Climate
On
the other hand the Savannah climate; also
known as the wet/dry climate varies dramatically. The Tropical wet/dry climate
is located on the opposite sides of the tropical climates.
Located
at higher latitude, the difference in insulation is greater; hence this climate
has a larger annual temperature range than the tropical coastal climate. The
average annual temperature however, is very comparable to that of similar
tropical climates. Average monthly temperatures in the Tropical wet/dry climate
range from 18oC to above 25oC.
The
Savannah climate is
the driest of all tropical climates. Like the monsoon climate, it has a discrete
variation to its precipitation. Its wet season however, is much smaller and
obtains a lot less rainfall than that typical to the monsoon climate.
Highland Climate
This
is the central and western area of the country and much of this area is located
between 1200 and 2200 meters in height. The climate of this region is
characterised by two rainy seasons with an average rainfall around 1000-1300 mm
annually. The rain falls between April and May (the rainy months) and between
November and December.
The country’s capital Nairobi
is located in this region, and has a temperate climate moderated by the
altitude at 1661m. The summers are sunny and warm as winters are cool. The
average maximum temperature in Nairobi differ between 25°C in February and
March and 20°C in July, the average minimum temperatures vary between 10°C in
July and 14°C in April. The rain falls between April and May and between
November and December, the dry months are those between June and September, the
average annual rainfall is 1000 mm.
It is not unexpected that with such a constructive climate; sunny, only
moderately wet, not too hot and a great variety of scenery, wild life, game
parks, and good quality communications, Kenya
has many attractions enjoyable for both locals and tourists.
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