Climate zones in Kenya, 1991 to 2020
Share of Kenya's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 685,500 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 588,129 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 62%, A (tropical) 26%, C (temperate) 12%, E (polar) 0.1%.
Kenya has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)), covers only 44% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Aw (22%) and BWh (19%). 8 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, hot semi-arid (steppe) means dry and hot, but with enough rain for grass. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 19% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)).
How Kenya's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 24% | 13% | BSh +3.9 percentage points | Csb -4.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 16% | 6.2% | BSh +5.6 percentage points | BWh -5.6 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 19% | 9.6% | BSh +5 percentage points | Csb -4.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 23% | 13% | BSh +6.5 percentage points | BWh -6 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 40% | 44% | 49% | 49% | 50% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | 26% | 22% | 25% | 26% | 27% |
| BWh Hot desert | 15% | 19% | 13% | 15% | 13% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 4.3% | 5.6% | 6.2% | 4.5% | 3% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 9.5% | 5.1% | 1.5% | 0.6% | - |
| Af Tropical rainforest | 0.2% | 2.2% | 3.1% | 3.9% | 4.8% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 1.8% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 2.3% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 3.1% | 1.2% | 0.4% | 0.1% | - |
| ET Tundra | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Kenya and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi | Aw Tropical savannah | Aw Tropical savannah |
| Kakamega | Af Tropical rainforest | Af Tropical rainforest |
| Mombasa | Aw Tropical savannah | Aw Tropical savannah |
Zones found in Kenya
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BSh. See data sources and licences.