The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast widespread rainfall and thunderstorms across much of the country on Thursday, warning that heavy downpours could trigger localised flooding in vulnerable communities.
In its weather outlook released on Wednesday via its official X account, the agency urged residents, motorists, airline operators and other stakeholders to take precautionary measures as thunderstorms, strong winds and reduced visibility are expected across the northern, central and southern regions.
According to NiMet, northern Nigeria will begin the day with patches of clouds, while thunderstorms accompanied by light rainfall are expected over parts of Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Adamawa and Taraba states.
As the day progresses, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rainfall are forecast for parts of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Borno and Taraba states.
The agency warned that the storms could be accompanied by lightning and strong winds.
For the North Central region, NiMet predicted morning thunderstorms with light rainfall, followed by more widespread thunderstorms and moderate rainfall later in the day.
States expected to be affected include Niger, Kwara, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory.
The agency cautioned that some locations could experience localised flooding and poor visibility during periods of intense rainfall.
In southern Nigeria, rainfall is expected in parts of Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti during the morning before spreading to most parts of the region later in the afternoon and evening.
NiMet warned that prolonged rainfall could result in localised flooding, particularly in low-lying communities and areas with poor drainage.
The agency also advised motorists to drive carefully during heavy rain and poor visibility, warning against driving or walking through floodwaters.
Residents were urged to avoid taking shelter under tall trees during thunderstorms because of the risk of lightning strikes.
NiMet further advised airline operators to obtain airport-specific weather reports from the agency to ensure safe and efficient flight operations.
The latest advisory comes as several parts of Nigeria, particularly Lagos, have experienced severe flooding in recent weeks following persistent heavy rainfall.
Urban planning and environmental experts have attributed the worsening floods to rapid urbanisation, blocked drainage channels and the destruction of wetlands, which have reduced the capacity of many cities to absorb and channel stormwater.
They have called for improved drainage maintenance, protection of wetlands, stricter enforcement of development regulations in flood-prone areas and greater investment in flood control infrastructure to reduce the impact of future flooding.
