By Abdullahi Lukman
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast a mix of sunshine, cloudy conditions, and thunderstorms with moderate rainfall across different parts of the country from Saturday to Monday.
In its weather outlook released on Friday in Abuja, the agency said the northern region would experience sunny skies with patches of cloud on Saturday morning, while thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rainfall are expected in parts of Taraba, Adamawa and Kaduna states. Later in the day, the storms are forecast to extend to Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Adamawa and Taraba states.
NiMet also predicted morning thunderstorms with moderate rainfall over parts of Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory in the North Central region. By afternoon and evening, the weather is expected to spread to Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa and the FCT.
In the southern region, moderate rainfall is expected on Saturday morning in parts of Ondo, Ogun, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Lagos and Bayelsa states, with thunderstorms and moderate rainfall likely to affect most parts of the region later in the day.
On Monday, the agency forecast partly cloudy skies across the northern states, with chances of morning thunderstorms and light rainfall in Bauchi, Jigawa and Yobe states. Moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms is expected across the region during the afternoon and evening.
For the North Central region, NiMet said sunny skies with patches of cloud are expected in the morning before thunderstorms and moderate rainfall develop later in the day. In the South, cloudy conditions are expected with light rainfall over parts of Edo, Cross River, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Rivers states in the morning, followed by widespread thunderstorms and moderate rainfall in the afternoon and evening.
NiMet advised residents to take necessary precautions as strong winds could accompany thunderstorms. It warned that persistent rainfall in coastal areas may trigger flash floods and urged motorists to avoid driving through flooded roads or during heavy rainfall.
The agency also advised the public to disconnect electrical appliances during storms and stay away from tall trees to reduce the risk of injury from falling branches. Airline operators were urged to obtain airport-specific weather reports from NiMet for effective flight planning, while residents were encouraged to keep up with regular weather updates.
