The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has announced a prediction of early rains in Kano, Niger, Rivers, and twelve additional states across the nation.
This announcement was made by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, during the unveiling of the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) in Abuja on Tuesday. He cautioned farmers to refrain from hastily planting their seeds, emphasizing that the actual rainy season has not commenced.
Keyamo noted that while some regions, including Lagos, Rivers, and Bayelsa states, have seen early rain, the official rainy season is yet to start, and extreme weather conditions are expected from March through May this year.
Highlighting the key points from the 2026 SCP, the forecast suggests substantial rainfall in southern Nigeria and indicates patterns of early onset, cessation, and extreme weather.
The SCP anticipates early onset of rainfall in states such as Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Oyo, and parts of Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Adamawa, and Taraba. Conversely, a late onset is predicted for Borno State.
According to the report, the expected cessation of rainfall is intended to occur earlier than usual in areas like Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Imo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, and Niger states, while a delayed end of the rainfall season is forecasted for Lagos, Ogun, Anambra, Enugu, Cross River, Benue, Nasarawa, and Kaduna states.
Furthermore, the forecast indicates a longer-than-typical rainy season in regions including Lagos, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ogun, Oyo, Nasarawa, Anambra, Kwara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Gombe, and Taraba. In contrast, shorter-than-normal rainy seasons are expected in parts of Borno, Yobe, and Niger states.
For most of Nigeria, a normal annual rainfall amount is anticipated relative to long-term averages. Areas like Borno, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Enugu, Cross River, Abia, and Ebonyi are expected to witness above-normal rainfall, while below-normal rainfall is forecasted for parts of Katsina, Zamfara, Kwara, Oyo, and Ogun states.
During the March to May season, regions such as Oyo and Ogun states may experience severe dry spells lasting more than 15 days, while moderate dry spells are likely across Ekiti, Kogi, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Edo, Ebonyi, Abia, Cross River, Delta, and parts of Kogi and Kwara states. Additionally, a severe dry spell lasting up to 21 days is projected for parts of Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara during the June to August period.
The Little Dry Season (LDS), commonly referred to as the 'August Break,’ is expected to start in late July and could be quite severe and extended in Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, and parts of Oyo states, with days of little to no rainfall ranging between 28 and 40. A moderate LDS impact is anticipated over Ondo, parts of Kwara, and Edo states.
Dr. Yakubu Adam Farmata, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, stated that the SCP serves as a pivotal platform for enhancing the connection between climate science and national development strategies. He indicated that the launch of the Seasonal Climate Prediction is not just a scientific procedure, but a vital national engagement aimed at equipping decision-makers with reliable, timely, and actionable climate data.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!