Landslides kill at least 29 people in Kenya

Heavy rains around the 18th November led to significant risks for many villages in mountainous areas. The West Pokot region has been most affected.

Several villages have been cut off from the outside world and there are reports that a bridge has been washed away. The death toll of 29 is likely to rise further as rescue services arrive in the area to help.

This incident is predicted to be caused by the Indian Ocean Dipole. This is where the two opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean have distinctly different temperatures. The western side of the Pacific is warmer and this has led to increased evaporation and rainfall affecting many East African countries; including Ethiopia and Somalia. As well as the recent landslides in Kenya, similar events have occurred in these other countries too.

For more on this story, check out the following report:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-50528982