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The Kenya Meteorological Department (Kenya Met) has issued heat wave thresholds for Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa.
In a statement, Kenya Met said a heat wave is defined as a period of three or more consecutive days of extremely high daytime temperatures that exceed locally determined thresholds and are associated with increased health risks.
Based on research using Kenya Meteorological Department temperature records and health data from major urban centres, the proposed thresholds for issuing heat-health alerts are:
- Nairobi: daily maximum temperature of 32°C or higher for three or more consecutive days
- Kisumu: daily maximum temperature of 37°C or higher for three or more consecutive days
- Mombasa: daily maximum temperature of 36°C or higher for three or more consecutive days.
The weatherman said these thresholds reflect local climate conditions and observed links between high temperatures and increased hospital visits, admissions, and mortality.
“When exceeded, they can be used to trigger health action plans and emergency response measures, particularly to protect vulnerable populations in Kenya’s major urban centres,” Kenya Met said.
Heat Wave Research
Kenya Met cited research is carried out by Joyce Kimutai, Patricia Nying’uro, Luke Harrington, Wesley Oghera, and Friederike Otto.
The research shows that more days with extremely hot temperatures are occurring across the world and the health effects of hot weather are fast becoming a global public health challenge for the 21st century.
The results show positive associations between high temperatures and hospital admissions across the three cities.
“The correlations are statistically significant, albeit very low. While the correlations found do not suggest a common relationship, they should not be interpreted as evidence of no relationships, as it only means that they cannot be detected in the data available to us,” reads part of the research.
Also Read: Kenya Met Clarifies Circulating Heat Wave Alert
There are also indications of a delayed effect of heat on mortalities, albeit not in all cases.
“We use this analysis to propose heatwave definitions for issuing health alert warnings in each city: daily maximum temperature of 32+ for 3 or more days in Nairobi, daily maximum of 37+ for 3 or more days in Kisumu, and a daily max of 36+ for 3 or more days in Mombasa.
Also Read: Kenya Met Lists Select Areas to Receive Rainfall in the First Week of February
These thresholds can be used to trigger protocols, e.g., the deployment of heat-health action and emergency response plans, or mitigate against the effects of extreme heat in Kenya’s three economic hubs.
The researcher also advised hospital managers and medical practitioners to pay particular attention to patients during such high-temperature periods.
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Kenya Met Boss Edward Muriuki speaking at past event. PHOTO/KNA
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