By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
ABUJA: The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has revealed that six states will experience high flood risks following a Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) analysis which it carried out in the last 48 hours.
The states include; Central parts of Borno state, Northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states including Central parts of Kaduna state with a portion of Bayelsa State and parts of Delta.
The Director General/ CEO NiMet, Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu made this disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday during the periodic press briefing to provide updates on weather, climate and water related issues happening in the country.
He stated that, “NiMet ran SPI analysis to determine the soil moisture condition which influences either dryness which leads to drought or over wetness which leads to flood activities, and the recent analysis carried out in the last 48 hours shows probable flood areas in the country, and areas of high flood risks include; central parts of Borno state, Northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states including central part of Kaduna state with a portion of Bayelsa State and parts of Delta.
“Areas of medium risks based on the soil moisture conditions include Central parts of Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger, Western Kaduna, parts of Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba as well as Southern Borno and Yobe states, while the remaining areas of the country shows low risks of flood activities”, he said.
He further disclosed that between August and the end of October, 11 states will experience above normal rainfall and they include; Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe, most parts of Gombe, Borno state and the northern fringes of Adamawa state, adding that in the next three months, in addition to the prevailing rainfall activities and occasional high intensity rains, these states will experience above-usual conditional rainfall, a situation which he described as very alarming.
He also listed states that will experience normal to above normal rainfall conditions in the next three months to include, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ogun and parts of Lagos state, while substantial parts of north central and north eastern states such as Kaduna, Plateau, Adamawa, Nasarawa, FCT, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Ekiti, Edo, Benue, and Taraba states will have normal conditions.
Commenting further, he said “the following inland cities and parts of Niger Delta will be having below normal rainfall activities, most of these states are coastal cities with a lot of soil moisture and longer raining days. So, it does not imply that there is going to be drought but in terms of the amount, they will be experiencing normal to below rainfall conditions and they are; Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Cross Rivers, Ebonyi, and Anambra state as well as Imo State”.
Prof. Matazu explained that based on the prediction, the Agency is in touch with the relevant enablers in terms of relaying the forecast information and advisories such as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and advised that these institutions should intensify adaptation and mitigation response mechanisms that they already have in place.
He also advised state governments to reemphasize on sensitization campaigns on people living in flood prone areas such as river valleys, drainages and especially areas around the northeast which could as a result of heavy downpour, plus high spell moisture conditions experience element of mudslides which can affect communities.
The NiMet boss advised the citizens to heed to advisories issued by NEMA and NiMet, adding that the Agency will on a 24-hour basis across the country, continue to observe and monitor rainfall events, issue forecasting on rainfall events and also provide enough leave-time for citizens and Agencies to prepare.
