… FCT, Kano, Kaduna, 4 other states may have less rain
Nigerian Meteorological Agency has alerted Nigerians that this year`s rains may start earlier than usual.
The agency added that the rains would be earlier than the long-term average in most parts of the country.
This is as it warns against the impact of climate change. Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, and Yobe states in the North and Cross River, Ebonyi, Imo, and Rivers in the South are, however, to experience a delayed onset of the rain, the prediction stated.
The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi A. Sirika made this disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja at the public presentation of the 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) as the ministry and its agencies unveiled 2023 SCP and other bulletins.
With the theme: “Strengthening Climate Risk Early Warning Services for Improved Food Security and Disaster Risk Reduction in Nigeria,” the SCP was released with pomp.
In his keynote address, the minister disclosed that the sector that depended most heavily on meteorological information was agriculture adding that the agency documented this information related to agriculture in an Agrometeorological Bulletin.
Sirika also dwelled on the significance of health in a country adding that the health of Nigerians is so important that it is directly proportional to productivity.
The agency, he said, also produced the Climate and Health Bulletin with tailored information on the weather and climate parameters and their influence on health.
Also, the minister disclosed that another bulletin available is the Hydrometeorological bulletin which documents meteorological information associated with water resources management adding that other bulletins which are in aviation, marine and maritime, public weather services and on-demand tailored information for tourism, construction, oil and gas among several others.
Speaking further on the rains, the Aviation Minister said the onset is expected to be established in early March from the coastal states of Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom; in April for the inland states of the South adding that in May around the central states and around July in the northern states. The onset dates will range from 2nd March to 7th July 2023.
“An early End of Season (EOS) is predicted over parts of the South (especially in Osun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Imo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and eastern parts of Ogun and Lagos) and parts of Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi.
“However, an extended rainfall season is predicted over parts of Gombe. Kaduna, Kwara, Enugu, Anambra, western Ogun, and Lagos. The End of Season period is expected to range from the 26th of September till 25th of December.
“The length of growing season in most places in the country is likely to be near the long-term average, except for some parts of the northern states such as Katsina, Jigawa, and Kano where shorter than the long-term average length of the growing season is anticipated.
“The season is expected to range from 84 to 283 days. Abuja and surrounding states are expected to witness between 170 and 230 days.
“The annual total rainfall is predicted to be normal to above normal in most parts of the country. However, in parts of Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kaduna and FCT that are likely to observe below normal to near normal annual rainfall amounts.
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“The annual rainfall amount is expected to range from 420 mm in the far northernmost parts to 3253 mm in the coastal areas.
“Dry spell occurrences have characterized our seasons in recent years. In 2023, we should also prepare for its occurrence between June and early July as dry spell lasting between 15 to 21 days is in the forecast, especially from the central parts of the country to the North.
“When compared to the last the years, the little dry season (August Break) for 2023 is expected to be less intense. It is expected to last between 14 and 20 days starting from late July especially over the Southwest of the country.
“Other forecasts such as the temperature for the first 5 months of the year, malaria and meningitis forecast along with the socio-economic implications of these forecasts are contained in explicit details in the documents.
“To our dear policy makers across all tiers of government, the 2023 SCP has been summarized in a booklet that is handy and highly informative. This summary is also available today for your kind attention and pick up.
“As the weather is dynamic, so is the climate ( Climate variability). Hence, I assure you that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency will ensure everything is done to bring updates to you should there be changes in any of the expected climatic parameters.
“So, feel free to digest all the salient information contained in the document,” the minister said.
In her goodwill messages Minister of state for Niger Delta Affairs, Sharon Ikeazor, commended NiMet for the seasonal climate prediction adding that “to a lot of people, this is a matter of life and death because for a disaster, there is disaster planning the disaster management and recovery and listening to your farmers. I’m so proud of you for the fact that what we’re doing in environment climate smart agriculture, let’s call it what it is. It is climate smart agriculture, teaching people how to adapt to the climate changes.”
Also, in his goodwill messages, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, while commending the Aviation Minister for his leadership, urged the agencies to do their job effectively.
Also, speaking Alhaji Abbas Idriss, Director General of FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said that they were using the volunteers in all the city councils of the city alerting them of updates on the weather forecasts.
Speaking further, Clement Nze, the DG Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, while commending NiMet on their achievement, however appealed to Nigerians to avoid flood prone areas and take to the warning of the Federal Government.
Mr Mustapha Ahmed, Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), expressed his delight to witness this very important milestone for the fusion of the public presentation of the 2023 seasonal climate prediction by the Nigerian meteorological agency.
“The weather and climate elements play a vital role in all forms of human activities, and across social economic sectors. And I’m glad to say that the repeated logical information from management has continued to play a vital role in disaster preparedness, response and mitigation plans of the National Emergency Management Agency; the notice is not a prediction.
“These officials look forward to bringing together experts from NiMet and other independent agencies to analyze disaster, the implication of the seasonal climate prediction, necessary advisories included with all NEMA partners to mitigate losses across the nation,” he added.
Welcome Address by Dr. Emmanuel C. Meribole, Permanent Secretary, federal ministry of aviation, said the Seasonal Climate Prediction is one of NiMet’s flagship products, an invaluable early warning tool that has provided stakeholders with relevant climate smart knowledge and information that will help reduce the risk of weather and climate change impacts in various weather-sensitive sectors of the economy and maximize the opportunities provided by the information contained in the product.
“It has also helped increase and improve the level of preparedness by Federal and State Emergency Management Agencies, complement the flood prediction by Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), and served as an advisory tool for many stakeholders at the Federal, State and Local Government levels,” he said.
Other dignities are: PR of Niger Republic with, PR of The Gambia with WMO and the World Meteorological Organisation among others.
