From Thursday night, there are prospects of heavy rainfall over parts of Niger and Kwara State, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) said in a weather advisory.
During the forecast period, 24 hours of accumulated rainfall is very likely, NiMet said, adding that the extreme heavy rainfall can cause flash flooding, riverine flooding, soil erosion, thunder and lightning, and strong winds.
The forecast shows that this extreme rainfall can result in “large-scale displacement of people due to floods, outbreaks of waterborne diseases, damages to infrastructures (roads, bridges, …), loss of lives, injuries, reduction of visibility, interruption of vehicular traffic.”
To avoid these hazards, NiMet called for civil protection services and disaster risk management authorities to activate contingency plans for disaster preparedness and emergency response (awareness, assistance to victims, search and rescue operations), and to be in close touch with National Hydrological Meteorological Services (NHMS) for further accuracy at the national level.
The agency said added moderate to heavy rainfall is anticipated over parts of Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Adamawa, Taraba, Cross River, Imo, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers State.
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Low to noderate rainfall is expected in larger parts of FCT, Kebbi, Ogun, Ekiti, Oyo, and Kano state.
Elsewhere, there is little or no risk of hydrometeorological hazard, NiMet said.
Meanwhile, the agency said moderate to heavy rainfall is expected on Saturday over parts of Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Yobe, Benue, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto State.
There are also prospects of low to moderate rainfall over places in Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Bauchi, Borno, and Taraba on Saturday.
On Sunday, NiMet said, there are slim prospects of moderate to heavy rainfall over parts of Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Delta, Bayelsa and River State.
Low to moderate rainfall is expected over parts of Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Bauchi, Plateau, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Oyo, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Cross River, Edo, Rivers and Imo State on Sunday.
Between Friday and Sunday, NiMet said, there are good chances of “very strong winds” to affect “parts of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau and Kaduna State.”
High risk of hazards due to strong winds is very likely in these locations over the next three days.
The strong winds can cause large scale damages to weak structures, felling of trees, disruption of vehicular movement due to blockage of roads, and displacement of people due to damages to buildings, NiMet said.
NiMet advised that contingency plans should be updated. It also wants improved disaster management during strong winds while authorities are advised to be ready to take adequate actions and to be continuously in touch with the National Hydrological Meteorological Services to be informed of the detailed expected meteorological conditions.
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