By Deborah Nnamdi
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted a mix of dust haze, thunderstorms, and moderate rainfall across the country between Monday and Wednesday, warning of possible flash floods in some southern states.
In its three-day weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja, the agency said that slight dust haze with good visibility is expected over Borno, Zamfara, northern Kaduna, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina States on Monday. It added that isolated thunderstorms with light rain are likely in Taraba and Adamawa States later in the day.
For the central region, NiMet forecast sunny skies with patches of clouds, with chances of isolated thunderstorms and light rain over the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasarawa, and Kogi States. Cloudy conditions are expected in the southern region in the morning, followed by isolated thunderstorms and light rains in parts of Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States. Later in the afternoon and evening, moderate rainfall is anticipated in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Ondo, Osun, Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Edo, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
On Tuesday, NiMet said the slight dust haze will persist in the northern region, while Taraba and Adamawa are likely to experience isolated thunderstorms and light rain throughout the day. The central region will have sunny skies with intermittent clouds, with early morning thunderstorms in Benue and moderate rain later in the day across the FCT, Nasarawa, and Kogi States.
In the southern states, cloudy skies and moderate rainfall are expected over Rivers, Cross River, Ebonyi, and Akwa Ibom in the morning, intensifying later in the day. The agency warned of possible flooding in parts of Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Cross River States, urging local authorities to activate emergency response measures.
For Wednesday, NiMet projected sunny skies across most northern states, with isolated thunderstorms and light rain in parts of Taraba. The central region will experience sunny skies with patches of clouds, while isolated thunderstorms and light rain are likely over Kogi and the FCT. Cloudy conditions are expected in the southern region in the morning, followed by thunderstorms and moderate rains later in the afternoon and evening across Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Delta, and Akwa Ibom States.
NiMet advised residents in flood-prone areas to stay alert and motorists to exercise caution during rainfall. It also urged people with respiratory issues to minimize outdoor exposure due to dust in the northern region. The agency further advised airline operators to obtain up-to-date weather reports for flight planning and encouraged the public to follow its official channels for regular updates.
