By Ayomide Otitoju
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast thunderstorms and rainfall across various parts of the country from Monday through Wednesday, as communities continue to grapple with the devastating flood disaster in Mokwa, Niger State.
The floods in Mokwa Local Government Area have claimed 153 lives and destroyed property worth millions of Naira, according to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA). The disaster also severely damaged a section of the Mokwa bridge, a critical link between northern and southwestern Nigeria, stranding motorists and passengers on both sides.
In its weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja, NiMet predicted morning thunderstorms and rains on Monday over parts of the northern states including Taraba, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, and Kano. Later in the day, further thunderstorms with rain were expected in Taraba, Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno, Kebbi, and Zamfara.
The North-central region was forecast to experience morning thunderstorms with rains in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, and Nasarawa States, with afternoon and evening showers expected over Plateau, FCT, Nasarawa, Kwara, Niger, Kogi, and Benue.
In the southern states, cloudy conditions with morning rains were anticipated over Ondo, Ogun, Edo, Ebonyi, Abia, Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom, followed by rain showers later in the day across Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Lagos, Edo, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa.
For Tuesday, NiMet predicted morning thunderstorms and rains over northern states including Kano, Zamfara, Katsina, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, and Taraba. Afternoon storms were expected in Taraba, Kebbi, Borno, Gombe, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Katsina. The North-central region would see morning showers over FCT, Niger, and Nasarawa, with later rains in Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, Kwara, and Plateau.
Southern states were forecast to receive morning thunderstorms over Ondo, Ogun, Edo, Ebonyi, Abia, Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom, followed by rains later in the day in Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Ogun, Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa.
Wednesday’s outlook called for morning thunderstorms and rains over Zamfara, Adamawa, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Taraba in the north. The North-central region was expected to experience morning thunderstorms with rains in FCT, Nasarawa, Niger, and Benue, with afternoon showers over Nasarawa, Plateau, FCT, Kwara, Kogi, and Niger.
In the south, morning rains were forecast over Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom.
NiMet cautioned that strong winds may precede thunderstorms in affected areas, urging the public to secure loose objects to prevent accidents. The agency also advised motorists to avoid driving during heavy rains to reduce the risk of collisions.
