Last Night's Heavy Downpour Catches Thika Residents Off-Guard.

Thika Town and its environs were Friday evening drenched in heavy rain, a bit of a welcome respite from the intense heat albeit somewhat of a surprise for many people caught unawares.

 
The sudden downpour actually caught majority of the people on the wrong foot. Commuters and other motorists were stuck following the heavy downpour that started at 7:30pm. The rains led to flooding on some roads which affected traffic flow, with drivers doing a lot of disservice to themselves by jamming the entry points and in the process ending up wasting a lot of time because of vehicles getting into a gridlock.  

Apparently, portions of the roads which connect the town to residential areas were submerged in water. Some of these roads got flooded, leaving pedestrians and two-wheeler riders fumbling through ankle-deep water. This flood water could be seen rushing into storm drains, dragging along all kind of rubbish and other toxins. 

Some of the rain water drained through sewer lines, and with all its cargo of infectious bacteria, viruses, and parasites, flowing right downstream.

Many motorists arrived home late after their vehicles were stuck in floods or broke down.

However, unlike in the past, most roads’ drainage system had improved.

 
Otherwise, the beauty of all these lied squarely on the behaviour of the residents. Along the streets, we witnessed first hand, how the urbanites feared the rain more than anything else, particularly the ladies who would do anything to save their hair from being rained on. How I wish you just saw how people deserted the streets in a flash.

 
Our buddies in the matatu industry had a field day hiking fares by about 50%. The other lot that gained from the storm were the tuktuk drivers who made a kill out of the situation.

Residents in some of the town's estates which usually experience sporadic water-logging got scared in fear of floods sweeping away their homes.

 
"We've never had an official inspect our area. Most of our drainage are haphazardly laid. The drainage system work has been pending for past many years, whenever it rains water enters our houses," said a distraught resident.

 
An unprecedented heat wave has in the last few weeks hit Kenya, with temperatures rising to over 40 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. The heat wave has become the talk of town as many agreed that it was the first time they were experiencing such a hot weather particularly in March when heavy rains were supposed to have started.

 
In Thika alone, temperatures had shot up to 33°C according to the Meteorological Department, with humidity hitting a high of about 45%. 

 
Meteorological experts are divided in opinion, with some saying the heatwave is as a result of climate change while others are blaming it on the "equinox phenomenon" which occurs twice each year around 20^th March and 23^th September. This is where the plane of earth's equator passes through the centre of the sun, meaning that the sun is exactly overhead, leading to high temperatures.

 
The Kenya Meteorological Department however dismissed those claims of heatwave, noting that all is normal in the East African nation, including the high humidity.

 
"Kenyans need not worry about extreme temperatures. What you will see is the usual fluctuation of temperature, nothing to raise alarm about," Deputy Director Peter Ambenje said.

In a forecast the department released last month, the long rains season was expected to start towards end of March, and would last until May.