NiMet warns of thunderstorms, heavy rains across Nigeria, urges public caution

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted a series of thunderstorms and heavy rains across various regions of the country from Sunday through Tuesday, raising concerns about potential urban flooding and advising residents to exercise caution.

In its weather outlook released on Saturday, NiMet predicted thunderstorms over parts of Borno, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe States in the northern region during Sunday morning, with the activity intensifying across the region in the afternoon and evening.

The North Central region is also expected to experience thunderstorms with rain, affecting areas such as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau States during the morning hours, with the entire region likely to see continued rain and thunderstorms later in the day.

Southern cities are forecasted to have cloudy skies in the morning, followed by intermittent rain throughout most of the day.

For Monday, NiMet anticipates morning thunderstorms over Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Yobe, and Jigawa States, extending to the rest of the northern region by afternoon.

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The North Central region, including parts of the FCT, Kogi, Niger, and Kwara States, will likely experience morning thunderstorms with rain, followed by continued stormy weather later in the day. Southern states are expected to remain cloudy with periods of rain in the afternoon and evening.

Tuesday’s forecast predicts morning thunderstorms over Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, and Kaduna States in the northern region, with cloudy skies taking over later in the day.

The North Central region, particularly Niger and Kwara States, will likely experience morning storms, with the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, and Benue States seeing thunderstorms and rain in the afternoon and evening. The southern region is expected to endure intermittent rain throughout the day.

NiMet has urged residents, especially those in flood-prone areas, to take precautions against urban flooding, which is likely in major cities due to the anticipated heavy downpours.

The agency also warned of strong winds preceding thunderstorms in certain areas and advised the public to stay informed through weather updates available on NiMet’s website.

Additionally, NiMet recommended that airline operators obtain airport-specific weather reports to ensure effective planning and safety in their operations.