This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
On Tuesday afternoon, a rare windstorm caught many Kenyans off guard, bringing with it strong winds and power outages in several areas.
The storm, which was forecasted by the Kenya Meteorological Department, caused power outages in Nairobi, Murang'a, Thika, and Machakos towns.
According to the department's deputy director, Samwel Mwangi, the windstorm marks the start of the short rain season and is a result of unstable air.
"We are having a bit of stormy weather all over. It is coming in with a bit of rains here and there. There is strong winds and where it has not rained for a while, we have seen dust being carried around by the strong winds," Mr Mwangi said.
The weatherman warned Kenyans to be careful, as the strong wind could blow away roofs, billboards, or rocks, posing a danger to people.
"Things being blown away could fall on people and that presents danger. For motorists, visibility could be an issue as the dust being blown could interfere with how far one can be able to see," he said.
The Kenya Meteorological Department warned that the Eastern half of the country would experience strong winds of more than 25 knots (12.5m/s), while other parts of the country, including the Rift Valley highlands, Lake Victoria basin, and Coast region, would experience rains.
