Following the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s forecast of thunderstorms and rainfall across various regions from Sunday through Tuesday states nationwide have mobilised plans to prevent potential disasters.

In a weather update issued on Saturday in Abuja, the agency predicted morning thunderstorms on Sunday, with moderate rain expected in parts of Taraba and Adamawa in the northern region.

“In the afternoon/evening hours, there are prospects of thunderstorms with rains over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Katsina, Kano, Zamfara, Kaduna, Jigawa, Borno, Gombe and Bauchi,” the report stated.

The outlook for North-Central Nigeria includes a cloudy morning, followed by thunderstorms and rain later in the day affecting areas such as the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Nasarawa, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, and Plateau States.

“In the southern region, cloudy atmosphere is expected during the morning hours,” the statement noted.

It further added that rain showers are expected later in the day in parts of Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Edo, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States.

For Monday, NiMet anticipates morning thunderstorms with rainfall in parts of Sokoto, Zamfara, and Bauchi in the northern part of the country.

Later in the day, more thunderstorms with rain are expected across Sokoto, Zamfara, Taraba, Adamawa, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Borno, Bauchi, and Kaduna states.

“In the North-Central region, morning thunderstorms with rains are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Kogi and Nasarawa States.

“In the afternoon/evening hours, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Plateau, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, and Benue states.

“In the southern region, there are prospects of morning rains over parts of Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states,” it said.

The report added that rain showers were likely in many areas of the southern region as the day progressed.

NiMet urged residents to take necessary precautions, warning that strong winds may precede the thunderstorms in some areas.

The report followed a recent flood in Mokwa, Niger State and another incident in Oyo, which destroyed property alongside farmlands worth several millions of naira, on Saturday.

The affected communities, according to The PUNCH investigations, are Ilu-Aje and Imini in the Afijio Local Government Area of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that some of the victims were currently taking refuge in the nearby communities.

The Kaduna State Government has, however, warned residents living in flood-prone areas to relocate to safe areas ahead of the predicted rainfall and thunderstorms.

The government, through the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, identified 12 local government areas prone to flooding and had designated havens for residents to temporarily relocate to.

He listed them as Chikun, Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Igabi, Sabon-Gari, Zaria, Kachia, Jema’a, and Zongo-Kataf.

According to the Public Relations Officer of SEMA, Philips Dominic, the agency has taken several steps to prevent flooding in Kaduna.

“We’ve been on a campaign for close to a month, even before the beginning of the rainy season.

“We’ve brought all stakeholders in disaster management to the headquarters of SEMA to assess our level of preparedness,” he said.

The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of Edo State Flood, Erosion and Watershed Management Agency, Mr Ahmed Momoh said his agency was desilting drains and water passages in the state.

He said FEWMA met with NIMET officials in Abuja after it predicted that there would be more rain this year, noting that with the approval of Governor Monday Okpebholo, the agency was also putting more measures in place to curtail flooding and its resultant effects.

“What we are doing currently is freeing drainages of debris and opening the way for water to flow and that will reduce the flooding,” he said.

The Benue State government said it had started awareness for residents of the state living close to the riverside to be on alert in the event of flooding.

The Information Officer of Benue State Emergency Management Agency, Terna Ager, said, “There have been jingles on radio stations across the state creating awareness of possible flooding and for residents living at riverside to be on alert.”

He added, “We are having a stakeholders meeting tomorrow (Monday) that is where other measures will be taken.

“If we are going to maintain those places we used last year for flood victims or we make another arrangement, all these are expected to be discussed tomorrow,” he added.

In Ondo, the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Olayide Adelami, said the state would not experience any form of flooding this year, following various measures being taken by the government.

Adelami, who spoke through his media aide, Mr JohnPaul Akinduro, said the government had embarked on various advocacy and sensitisation programmes for the people across the 18 local government areas of the state on environmental sanitation.

“There is no cause for alarm as far as flooding is concerned in Ondo State,” he said.

In Ekiti, the National Emergency Management Agency and the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency are collaborating to sensitise residents on prevention and mitigation.

Ekiti SEMA General Manager, Oludare Asaolu, said the Biodun Oyebanji administration had worked towards ensuring that no stone was left unturned in putting various measures in place to prevent flooding in the state.

Asaolu said, “The state government has dredged waterways and constructed drainage channels in various parts of the state.

“These enviable steps have made Ekiti State conspicuously absent on the list of states predicted to witness flood disaster in the year 2025 by NIMET.”

Last week, the state government announced it would begin to demolish houses constructed on waterways in the state, to prevent flooding and unnecessary loss of lives and properties.

https://punchng.com/states-mobilise-as-nimet-predicts-three-day-rainfall/