The 2023 seasonal climate prediction with a forecast of early onset of rain in Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, and Rivers states by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has been released.
The prediction warned that the earliest rains will likely occur on or around the 2nd of March, 2023 in the coastal zones of south-south states of Nigeria.
Director General of NiMet, Mansur Matazu, made this known during the seasonal prediction presentation in Abuja on Tuesday.
Truth Live News gathered that the DG who predicted the rainfall onset on March 2 in southern states while other parts could delay till around July 7, said the annual rainfall amount expected in the coastal areas is 3,253 mm and 420 mm in the northern region.
Other states predicted to have onset of rain between June and July, are the Northern fringes of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, and Borno,likely to have onset between 20th June and 7th July of 2023.”
Matazu, said although, “The onset date is expected to increase in latitude with the ITD northward oscillation as the year progresses. According to him, the inland cities of the south are therefore likely to have onset in April while areas around the central states are likely to have onset in May.
Putting the length of the growing season range from 84 to 283 days, this year, Matazu, added that most parts of the country will experience the long-term average, while some parts such as Katsina, Jigawa, and Kano, will have shorter-term average length.
He said “An early end of the season is also predicted over parts of the south, especially in Osun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Imo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and eastern parts of Ogun and Lagos and parts of Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi.
However, the DG continued that an extended rainfall season is predicted in parts of Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Enugu, Anambra, western Ogun, and Lagos. While the end-of-season period is expected to range from 26th of September till the 25th of December.
“Dry spell occurrences have characterized our seasons in recent years. In 2023, we should also prepare for its occurrence between June and early July as a dry spell lasting between 15 to 21 days is in the forecast, especially from the central parts of the country to the north.
He said “When compared to the last year, the little dry season (August Break) for 2023 is expected to be less intense, saying that It is expected to last between 14 and 20 days starting from late July, especially over the south-west of the country.
Reports say, “Other forecasts such as the temperature for the first five months of the year, malaria and meningitis forecast along with the socioeconomic implications of these forecasts are contained in explicit details in the documents.”