NiMet warns of widespread rainfall, thunderstorms, flooding risk across Nigeria

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast widespread rainfall and thunderstorms across most parts of Nigeria on Thursday, warning that several areas could experience localized flooding as the wet weather intensifies.

The agency issued the weather outlook in a post on its official X account on Wednesday, urging residents, motorists and other stakeholders to take necessary precautions to minimise the impact of the expected weather conditions.

According to NiMet, the forecast covers states across the northern, central and southern regions of the country, with thunderstorms, moderate rainfall, strong winds and reduced visibility expected in several locations.

In the northern region, the agency predicted patches of clouds during the morning, with chances of thunderstorms accompanied by light rainfall over parts of Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Adamawa and Taraba states.

Later in the afternoon and evening, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rainfall are expected across parts of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Borno and Taraba states.

NiMet warned that the storms could be accompanied by lightning and occasional strong winds.

For the North Central region, the agency forecast thunderstorms with light rainfall in the morning, followed by more widespread thunderstorms and moderate rainfall later in the day across parts of Niger, Kwara, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It cautioned that localized flooding and poor visibility could occur in some areas as rainfall intensifies.

In the southern region, rainfall is expected during the morning in parts of Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti states before spreading to most parts of the region later in the afternoon and evening with moderate rainfall.

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The agency warned that prolonged rainfall could trigger localized flooding, particularly in low-lying and poorly drained communities.

NiMet also advised residents to anticipate strong winds ahead of thunderstorms and urged motorists to exercise caution while driving during heavy rainfall and periods of reduced visibility.

The agency further warned against walking or driving through floodwaters and advised members of the public not to seek shelter under tall trees during thunderstorms due to the risk of lightning strikes.

It also called on airline operators to obtain airport-specific weather reports from NiMet to ensure safe and efficient flight operations.

The latest advisory comes as several parts of Nigeria, especially Lagos State, have experienced severe flooding in recent weeks following persistent heavy rainfall.

Urban planning and environmental experts recently warned that low-lying communities and areas with inadequate drainage remain highly vulnerable to flooding due to rapid urbanisation, blocked drainage channels and the loss of wetlands that naturally absorb excess stormwater.

The experts recommended regular clearing of drainage systems, protection of wetlands, strict enforcement of building regulations in flood-prone areas and increased investment in flood-control infrastructure to reduce the impact of heavy rains.