Weather: NiMet predicts 24-hour poor visibility in 7 states
Seven northern states have been warned by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) to expect poor vision over the next 24 hours owing to an incoming dust cloud.
The agency issued a bulletin yesterday with the heading “Alerts on approaching dust haze,” and it contains the warning.
As per the announcement made by Yusuf Ibrahim, the agency’s general manager of public relations, the states that are most likely to be impacted are Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno (Maiduguri), Katsina, Kano, Yobe (Nguru, Potiskum), and Jigawa.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has issued a warning to the public regarding the potential for impending dense dust clouds that may worsen horizontal visibility during the course of the next 24 hours. Over the next 24 hours, it is anticipated that the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity (ITD), which is currently at roughly 9.60N Lat, will move slightly southward. The country’s northern regions are more likely to see dust-haze propagation when winds exceed 10 m and 925 hPa (700 m).
“Dust-haze with poor horizontal visibility between 300m and 5000m has been reported by stations in the source region (Sahara Desert) from Chad (Faya-Largeau, Bol-Berim, Mongo, Abeche, and Ndjamena) and sources from Niger, which shares a border with Northern Nigeria (Diffa, Maine-Soroa, Goure, Bila, Maradi, Zinder, and Birni-n-Konni).”
Strong winds are predicted to cause the dust in suspended to spread to a few northern states in the nation.
“Over the next 24 hours, this is expected to further deteriorate horizontal visibility over the northern parts of the country, especially over Jigawa, Bauchi, Borno (Maiduguri), Yobe (Nguru, Potiskum), and Katsina.”
The organisation cautioned the public to take the appropriate safety measures because dust particles are currently suspended in the sky.
It further stated that anyone with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, should exercise caution in the current weather.
In addition to urging aircraft operators to obtain current weather information from NiMet for efficient planning purposes, NiMet stated that it will keep an eye on the weather and issue updates as needed.
