Kebbi, Borno, Sokoto, Bayelsa risk flooding in coming days – NiMet

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) weather forecast has shown that some parts of Borno, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bayelsa and Delta states could be flooded in the coming days. NiMet installs detectors at Abuja airport, others Residents, businesses affected as bridge linking Nigeria-Benin Republic collapses NiMet said its soil moisture analysis and the weather patterns showed that […]

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) weather forecast has shown that some parts of Borno, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bayelsa and Delta states could be flooded in the coming days.

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NiMet said its soil moisture analysis and the weather patterns showed that some parts of these states are flood high risk areas.

The Director General of NiMet, Prof. Mansur Matazu, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at a press briefing.

Recall flooding is already ravaging communities in Jigawa and Sokoto states following increased rainfall in the last few days. Hundreds of houses and swats of farmlands have been ravaged by the flood.

NiMet prediction shows that these patterns will continue in the coming days or weeks.

Matazu said in the recent analysis of the soil moisture carried out in the last 48 hours showed the states were most vulnerable to flood.

He said, “The high risks areas are the central parts of Borno State, the northern parts of Kebbi and Sokoto states, including central parts of Kaduna State with a portion of some parts of Bayelsa State and Delta State.”

According to NiMet DG, the medium risk areas include central parks of Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger and western parts of Kaduna. Also some parts of Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba states, southern Borno and Yobe states.

While the remaining parts of the country he said the forecast shows low risk to flood.

Prof. Matazu who also briefed on the climatic conditions for the remaining wet season (August to October 2022) indicated that southwestern states like Lagos, Ogun, Osun, much of Oyo, Ondo, parts of Ekiti, and Edo States; will experience normal to above rainfall in the period under review; while normal rainfall conditions are expected in the central states, most of Kaduna, Adamawa, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo, parts of Bauchi, Gombe and Ondo States.

He said normal to Below Normal conditions are expected over the south-south and the inland states such as Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states.

NiMet thus advised states and emergency response agencies to upscale awareness around vulnerable areas and advise the residents on evacuation plans.

He said those who live around flood plains are very vulnerable and should take safety precautions.

He also tasked states to conduct vulnerability acccessment and work with the vulnerable communities to mitigate the impacts of the flood.