The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMET) has predicted that 13 states will experience heavy rain in the coming days.
NiMET in a statement said the affected states could experience flash floods on roads, bridges and low-lying areas which can affect vehicular traffic.
The development is as a result of what is known as the Madden-Julian Oscillation which is expected to be strong within the week over the West African region.
The predicted states are Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Delta and Imo.
Others are Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Ekiti and Osun states.
Also, moderate to heavy rainfall is also anticipated over parts of Zamfara, Kano, Borno, Gombe, Adamawa, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra states.
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NiMET advised the public to take necessary safety precautions; do not walk through fast-flowing runoff waters.
In February, 2024, NiMet released the 2024 seasonal climate prediction (SCP), forecasting a late onset of rain across the country.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, announced the forecast during the seasonal prediction presentation in Abuja.
According to him the annual seasonal climate prediction report provides critical information to help guide decision-making across all sectors of the economy.
He said some parts of the country are likely to experience a late onset of rain, while some states are likely to experience an early onset of the rainy season.
“The 2024 onset of rain is predicted to be delayed in some parts of the country, especially north-central states of the country,” he said.
“A normal on-set is likely to occur over the northern states. Borno, Abia and Akwa Ibom states are predicted to have early end sets when compared to their long-term averages.”
Mustapha Ahmed, director general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said NiMet’s seasonal climate prediction helps the agency to analyse disaster risk implications and produce disaster early warning messages for the protection of lives and assets.
