2026 paragliding cross country season is ON!
Weather in East Africa (and Australia) is drier and hotter than previous years, probably due to the long retreat of La Nina and neutral Indian Ocean Dipole. The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)became quite strong at its southward seasonal position, probably fed by warmer seas, producing deadly flooding in Mozambique and unusual rains in northern South Africa. When something goes up then something else goes down, so this may additionally increased mid height stability (suppressed cloud production) and drought in East Africa.
In January, Amboseli lake dried up completely, Machakos and Kamba lands are still green from December rains, Rift Valley and Naivasha become dusty, Lake Victoria area is hot, Kerio valley has more thermals and clouds than winds. High mountains still produce weak sporadic rains but drought increases in eastern and northern Kenya.
All these make cloudbase high (4-5000 m msl) and thermals strong (3-6 m/s). Kerio valley saw again record out and return flights over 300 km. The Kisumu take off, which SkyNomad Team discovered last year, opened a new cross country direction towards Nakuru, riding the splendind convergences of Nandi hills.
