Kenya has complicated and rather unpredictable climatic shifts . Broadly, the pattern is that January to March is hot and dry, while from April to June it is hot and wet, a period known as the "long rains". From July until October the weather is very warm and dry, and then come the "short rains", making November and December warm and wet. At high altitudes, however, it may rain at almost any time. Western Kenya has a scattered rainfall pattern influenced by Lake Victoria, while the eastern half of the country, and especially the coast itself, are largely controlled by the Indian Ocean's monsoon winds - the dry northeast monsoon ( kaskazi ) blowing from December to March and the moist southeast monsoon ( kusi ) from April to November, which normally brings the heaviest rain in May. Temperatures are determined largely by altitude: you can reckon on a drop of 6°C (or 11°F) for every 1000m you climb from sea level. Nairobi, for example, (at 1600m, higher than the Cairngorms or the Appalachians) has a moderate climate, and can get down to 5°C (41°F) at night.

 

The main tourist seasons tie in with the rainfall patterns: the biggest influxes are in December and January and, to a lesser extent, July and August. Dry-season travel has a number of advantages, not least of which is the greater visibility of wildlife as animals are concentrated along the diminishing watercourses. July and August are probably the best months , overall, for game-viewing. October to January are the months with the clearest seas for snorkelling and diving - especially November. In the "long rains", the mountain parks are sometimes closed, as the muddy tracks are undrivable. But the rainy seasons shouldn't deter travel unduly: the rains usually come only in short afternoon or evening cloudbursts, and the landscape is strikingly green and fresh even if the skies may be cloudy. There are bonuses, too, in the lack of tourists: hotel and other prices are reduced and people generally have more time for you.