Residents of Kitui are currently being faced by a snake invasion menace.These snakes creep up into the locals’ houses at night in search of water to cool their systems.
This year so far the temperatures have increased immensely as compared to the previous years.The long rains usually experienced in March have not yet been received.Leaving farmers worried for their future.Blame it on deforestation maybe.
Forests influence the local and regional climate through various mechanisms.
1.Solar radiation reflection
Forests have low albedos(ratio of radiation reflected from the surface to the total radiation falling onto the surface).Meaning only little of the incoming solar radiation is reflected.
They thus absorb more of the incoming radiation;subsequently warming the air around and above them.
2.Evapotranspiration
Forests absorb water from the soil through their roots and release it into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration.
This is enabled through the latent heat energy.
The water vapour is then transported to higher altitudes where it cools and condenses to to form clouds which fall as rain.
3.Aerodynamic roughness
The surface of forests is aerodynamically rough, and this causes turbulence in the air and enhances the exchange of sensible heat and moisture from the forests to the air.
The moisture content in the air above the forest causes convective cloud formation leading to precipitation.
Forests therefore influence local and regional weather and climate.
Cutting down forests reduces evaporation,humidity and precipitation.Now you know.Help conserve forests and reduce the impacts of climate change.
In other news,i have been nominated in this years Bake awards as the best environmental/agricultural blogger.Please vote for me. http://www.blogawards.co.ke/vote/
The Environment Enthusiast 
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