By Barbara Nwaiwu
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast cloudiness, thunderstorms and rainfall across different parts of Nigeria from Sunday to Tuesday.
NiMet, in a weather outlook released in Abuja, predicted sunny skies with patches of clouds over the northern region on Sunday, with chances of early morning thunderstorms and light rains over parts of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Borno, Taraba and Adamawa states.
The agency said thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains were expected over most parts of the northern region during the afternoon or evening, while the North Central region would experience sunny skies with patches of cloud and chances of early morning thunderstorms.
It forecast light rains during the morning over parts of Kwara, Niger, Kogi and the Federal Capital Territory, followed by thunderstorms and moderate rains across most parts of the North Central region later in the day.
For the southern region, NiMet predicted cloudy skies, with chances of light rains over parts of Oyo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states during the morning. It also forecast moderate rains over parts of Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states later in the day.
On Monday, the agency forecast sunny skies with patches of cloud over the northern region, with thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains expected over parts of Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states during the morning. It said thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains were expected over parts of Yobe, Jigawa, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba and Adamawa states in the afternoon or evening.
NiMet also predicted cloudy skies with spells of sunshine over the North Central region on Monday, with prospects of thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains over parts of Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory during the morning. Sunny skies with a few patches of cloud were expected over most parts of the region later in the day.
Across the southern region, the agency forecast a cloudy atmosphere and chances of light rains over most parts of the South-West during Monday morning, while moderate rains were expected over the South-South and South-East later in the day.
For Tuesday, NiMet anticipated sunny skies with a few patches of cloud over the northern region during the morning, followed by thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains over parts of Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Kaduna and the North-East later in the day.
The North Central region was expected to have sunny skies with patches of cloud during the morning, with thunderstorms and moderate rains forecast across most parts of the region in the afternoon or evening.
NiMet also predicted a cloudy atmosphere over the southern region on Tuesday, with prospects of light rains over parts of Akwa Ibom and Cross River during the morning and moderate rains across the region later in the day.
The agency warned that strong winds could precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are expected and urged the public to take adequate precautions, including securing loose objects to avoid collisions.
“Driving under heavy rain should be avoided. Disconnect electrical appliances from electrical sockets. Stay away from tall trees to avoid impact from falling branches and broken trees.”
“Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations,” it said.
