NIMET Warns Nigerians to Expect More Flood in 2013

 The Director General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Dr. Anthony Anuforom has warned that based on prevalent conditions that characterised this year’s Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP), more rainfall, which might eventually lead to more floods should be expected in some parts of the country this year.

Anuforom identified Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara and other neighbouring states as top on priority list, adding that there will be lower amount of rainfall especially for the Southwest compared to the devastating flood of 2012.

The DG disclosed this during the 2013 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) organised by the agency at the weekend in Abuja. 

Anuforom said: “The summary is that based on the conditions that are prevalent at the time of making the prediction, we are predicting that the rainfall pattern in 2013 will not be different, very different or significantly different from what we saw in 2012.

“However, some areas especially in the western flank of the country covering Sokoto State, Kebbi State, parts of Kwara State and parts of Niger State are likely to have higher rainfall than last year. “We have some other areas, particularly from western part of the country may witness slightly lower amount of rainfall.”

Speaking on the anticipated measure of rain, the DG said the North-eastern states might experience huge amount of rainfall amounting to about 420 millimetres within 120 days while the South should expect 2,900 millimetres of rain within 290 days.

According to him, the predictions are based on the “Neutral Phase of the ENSO phenomenon.” The ENSO phenomenon also known as Southern Oscillation refers to variations in the temperature of the surface of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean and in air surface pressure in the tropical western Pacific.

The director general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Alhaji Muhammed Sani Sidi has said that the agency had put in place necessary measures to avert flooding this year even as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has predicted heavy rainfall in some states in the country.

He said this had become imperative in order to avert the possibility of the reoccurrence of the flooding that ravaged parts of the country last year.

The DG who spoke to newsmen in Kaduna shortly after attending a dinner organised in honour of the newly appointed director general media and publicity to Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mayaki, also attested to the prediction, saying, "The prediction of torrential rainfall is true and the states to be affected have equally been informed to prepare ahead".

It would be recalled that NIMET director general, Dr. Anthony Anuforom had predicted that there is going to be more rainfalls in 2013, noting that the annual rainfall amount is expected to be above normal in comparison to 2012 in Sokoto, Niger, Kwara and Zamfara States and environs, while the rainfall amount will be below normal in Ogun, Oyo and Kebbi States