The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has released a weather outlook predicting a mix of thunderstorms and rain across various regions in Nigeria from Monday to Wednesday, with notable weather activity expected throughout the country.
Starting Monday, the northern states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Taraba, Adamawa, and Kaduna are likely to experience early morning thunderstorms, potentially with rain. The rest of the region will enjoy sunny conditions with intermittent cloud cover. By afternoon and evening, thunderstorms accompanied by rain are expected to affect Adamawa, Taraba, Borno, Jigawa, Yobe, Kano, Katsina, Gombe, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, and Kaduna.
On Tuesday, sunny skies with cloud patches will dominate the region, though scattered thunderstorms with heavy rains may occur in Adamawa, Taraba, Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, Jigawa, Bauchi, and Kaduna. Later in the day, thunderstorms with light rains are anticipated in Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, and Bauchi.
By Wednesday morning thunderstorms are expected over Zamfara, Kebbi, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Gombe, Bauchi, and Sokoto, with heavy rains likely in the afternoon and evening in Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Jigawa, Taraba, and Adamawa.
Central Region Forecast
In the central region, Monday will bring morning thunderstorms with rain to Niger, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory, with the remaining areas experiencing sunny skies and cloud patches. In the afternoon, isolated thunderstorms are predicted over Plateau, the FCT, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Niger.
Tuesday's forecast includes morning thunderstorms with light rains for the FCT, Niger, Kogi, and Benue, while Nasarawa, the FCT, Benue, Kogi, and Plateau will face similar conditions later in the day. Wednesday will see cloudy skies in the morning, transitioning to thunderstorms with moderate rains in the afternoon.
Southern Region Forecast
The southern region will start the week with cloudy skies and light morning rains in Ogun, Lagos, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom on Monday. Thunderstorms with light rains are expected in Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Edo, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom during the afternoon or evening.
Tuesday will bring cloudy conditions with morning rains in Akwa Ibom and Cross River, while afternoon and evening thunderstorms with light rains are anticipated throughout the region. On Wednesday, light rains are expected across the southern region all day.
Safety Precautions and Recommendations
NiMet advises the public to secure loose objects to prevent collisions during strong winds that may precede thunderstorms. Residents should avoid driving in heavy rain, disconnect electrical appliances, and stay clear of tall trees to avoid falling branches. Airline operators are encouraged to obtain airport-specific weather reports for operational planning.
