The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has issued a weather forecast indicating the likelihood of thunderstorms over a three-day period across various states in Nigeria, including Niger, Taraba, Adamawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The forecast also extends to several other states in the northern, central, and southern regions of the country.
According to NiMet, the expected thunderstorms may be preceded by strong winds, and residents in the affected areas are strongly advised to take necessary precautions to avoid adverse impacts such as flooding, falling trees, or structural damage.
For Wednesday, early morning thunderstorms are expected over parts of Taraba, Kaduna, and Adamawa States in the northern region. As the day progresses, thunderstorms accompanied by rainfall are likely to affect additional northern states including Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Gombe, and Bauchi.
In the North-Central zone, the forecast predicts morning thunderstorms in areas such as Benue, Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Later in the day, these conditions are expected to persist across Kogi and Plateau States, in addition to the aforementioned areas.
In the Southern region, the morning hours will likely begin with cloudy skies and light rainfall in some states including Ondo, Ekiti, and Edo. During the afternoon and evening, widespread isolated thunderstorms with rain are expected across a broad range of southern states including Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Oyo, Ogun, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Rivers.
Moving into Thursday, the northern region is again expected to witness morning thunderstorms in Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, Adamawa, and Taraba States. By the afternoon and evening hours, these weather conditions will likely expand to include Kano, Gombe, and Bauchi.
In the North-Central region, weather conditions will include patchy clouds and sunny intervals during the early part of the day. However, thunderstorms are forecast in the morning over Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, and the FCT. As the day continues, thunderstorms with rainfall are anticipated to affect Kogi, Kwara, and Plateau States as well.
For the Southern region, morning thunderstorms are expected over Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States. By afternoon and evening, isolated thunderstorms will likely develop across nearly all the southern states, including Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Lagos, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers.
NiMet urges all residents, especially those in high-risk zones, to stay informed and make necessary preparations to mitigate the impact of severe weather. Travelers and road users are also advised to exercise caution as thunderstorms can lead to reduced visibility and slippery roads.