Coastal precipitation regimes in kenya

Abstract

Kenya is under the influence of the seasonal reversal of the Indian ocean monsoons. However, its coastal belt, up to about 50 km inland, exhibits original climatic features. Hierarchical clustering of mean monthly rainfall for a large number of stations, particularly in the south‐eastern region, strongly differentiate a maritime climate characterised by enhanced and delayed “long rains” and no dry season in the northern summer. Most of these rains fall at night or in the morning. Using daily rainfall data and twice‐daily surface and upper‐air wind observations, monsoon‐breeze interactions and their role on April–August coastal precipitation are assessed. Rain spells common to the whole Kenya coast are associated to a slight weakening of the sea breeze, a strong easterly or south‐easterly wind anomaly over most of Kenya at around 850–700 hPa, and sea surface temperatures greater than air temperatures.