NiMet: Dust haze expected to envelope some parts of the North

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has announced cessation of the rainy season. It is expected that for there forecast a dust haze will  will cover some parts of the northern  region in the coming days.

The NiMet in its forecast said dust wind is expected to becoming from Niger Republic and will hit parts of the North.

Strong winds speed at 800m will transport the dust to the northern region of the country, particularly the North and north-central regions.”

The forecast said weather “stations in Niger (Maine-Soroa and Diffa) and Chad (Mao and Faya-Largeau) have reported Dust-Haze with poor horizontal visibility.

Further analysis also showed that more dust plumes are expected into the country from source region.

The forecast anticipates that “in the next 24 hours, there are good prospects of dust haze (in moderate horizontal visibility, 2000m – 5000m) over Maiduguri, Yobe, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi and Jigawa States, while other northern states (including North-central) could report Sunny & Hazy (visibility of 5–7km). It is expected that this weather condition will persist for the next 3 days” the forecast.

NiMet also indicated that will gradual increase of the day-time temperature.

NiMet advised that places where visibility is impaired by dust haze, motorists are advised to drive cautiously.

Also “people with respiratory issues should apply necessary caution, especially for out-door activities.”

NiMet also advised that airline operators are advised to get updated weather reports from NiMet offices for effective planning of their operations.

With the warmer temperatures, NiMet said there are higher chances of clear air turbulence.

“Hot weather result in longer distance on the runway to generate enough lift for flight take-off. This increases the fuel consumption and requires adequate planning by operators” NiMet said.

NiMet also said that during the dry season, there could be increased chances of bird strike due to influx of migratory birds. This constitutes hazard to flight operations.

NiMet advised motorists to adhere to recommended tyre pressure by the manufacturers especially during the hot days to safeguard against tyre burst.

NiMet said with reduced visibilities, flight delays or cancellations, in compliance with safety regulations may not be unexpected.

(Daily Trust)