Possibilities of heavy rainfall in 2020 may result in flooding and other social disequilibria in some parts of the country, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET warned in its 2020 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction, SRP, in Abuja. The agency gave the prediction during the unveiling of this year’s SRP at a well-attended event at the nation’s capital.
The gathering which brought stakeholders together had in attendance Senator Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation; Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior and Muhammed Mahmood, Minister of Environment among others. Unveiling the report, Sirika said although rainfall is expected to be near normal, “heavy rainfall may result in flooding, which could disrupt traffic, delay construction activities, and weaken or wash out the soil and culverts that support roads, tunnels, and bridges.” READ ALSO: NIMET to present 2020 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction today According to him, “higher temperatures can cause the pavement to soften and expand. This can create pot-holes, particularly in high-traffic areas and can place stress on bridge joints.
Therefore, drivers are advised to drive carefully, especially during onset and cessation as this period is characterised by heavy downpour that can impede visibility. Changes in precipitation can affect shipping in many ways. Above normal total rainfall amount predicted over Lagos could affect port infrastructures. This could cause an increase in downtime due to shut down and delays in port and terminal operations. Activities as loading and unloading of cargo would be disrupted.” Senator Sirika was full of praises for President Buhari in his commitment to advancing meteorology for national development in all sectors of the nation’s economy.
“The federal government is very committed to supporting the advancement of meteorology for national development in all sectors. Mr. President’s zeal in signing the ‘Paris Agreement’ in 2015 is a testimony to his conviction the ‘Climate Crisis’(which is increasing in intensity and manifested by the day) will have to be tackled head-on. “As part of our response to address the challenges of climate change, the federal government has developed a National Framework for the Application of Climate Services, NFACS, as a downscaled version of the Global Framework on Climate Services, GFCS, to enable Nigeria better manage the risks while maximizing opportunities arising from climate variability and change. It will build a partnership, mobilize resources, coordinate national response and activities as well as develop infrastructure for climate services. On this, NIMET, by virtue of its mandate, is largely responsible for providing climate information and has established infrastructure delivering climate services in the country.
“In recognition of the importance of the annual rainfall predictions and other early warning products and services, the agency, under my guidance and support, is being empowered and positioned for more accuracy. We have in collaboration with universities and other higher institutions increased from 54 to over 157 meteorological stations, and this is still ongoing in all the nooks and cronies of the country.” READ ALSO: Weather Forecast: NiMet predicts sunny, haze conditions for Monday. The Minister further said the South-South geo-political zone is expected to witness the first rains.
“The Predicted 2020 onset of the growing season is expected to be ‘near-normal to earlier than normal in most parts of the country with the earliest onset date likely to occur on the 24th of February around the coastal zone of the south-south states while states like Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, and Borno are predicted to likely have their onset from 2nd June, 2020.” Dry spells lasting between 10 to 21 days, according to the Minister are expected in such states as Niger, Bauchi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Yobe and Borno in the months of June and July. On his part, Director General of NIMET, Professor Sani Amaechi pledged the commitment of the agency to continuously provide meteorological information to Nigerians in all critical areas of their lives. Vanguard
