The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted heavy rainfall in fourteen states across the nation this week. This prediction is part of NiMet’s weekly weather forecast released on Tuesday, which is valid from June 18 to June 24, 2024.
The states expected to experience heavy rainfall include Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Delta, Imo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Ekiti, and Osun.
According to the agency, the heavy rainfall is influenced by the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), which is expected to be strong over the West African region this week.
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The bulletin explained, “Good moisture influx and velocity divergence are expected to enhance the prospects of heavy rainfall over parts of Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Delta, Imo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Ekiti, and Osun states.”
In addition to these areas, NiMet identified several states that will experience moderate to heavy rainfall. “Moderate to heavy rainfall is anticipated over parts of Zamfara, Kano, Borno, Gombe, Adamawa, the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Anambra states.”
The agency also noted that low rainfall is expected over parts of Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, and Yobe states, while the rest of the country should see low to moderate rainfall.
NiMet warned that the anticipated heavy rainfall could lead to flash floods in some parts of the country. “There are prospects of flash floods on roads, bridges, and low-lying areas which can disrupt vehicular traffic. The public is advised to take necessary safety precautions; do not walk through fast-flowing runoff waters,” the agency advised.
Additionally, NiMet provided temperature predictions for various states throughout the week. Maximum temperatures ranging from 35°C to 40°C are expected in parts of Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, and Borno states.
“A temperature range of 30°C to 35°C is expected over parts of Kaduna, Plateau, Taraba, Lagos, Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers states. The rest of the country is expected to experience a temperature range of 25°C to 30°C,” NiMet stated.
The minimum temperature range of 15°C to 20°C is expected in parts of Plateau state. Meanwhile, temperatures ranging from 25°C to 30°C are anticipated in parts of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, and Borno states. The remaining parts of the country can expect temperatures between 20°C and 25°C.
The public is encouraged to stay informed about weather updates and take the necessary precautions to ensure safety during this period of potentially severe weather conditions.
