The recent rainfall in the northern part of Nigeria, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on November 25th and 26th, 2023, caught many by surprise.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency in a statement says, the Central Forecast Office (CFO) explained that contrary to the expected harmattan season, an unusual atmospheric phenomenon occurred.
NiMet CFO clarified that a mid-latitude trough linked with thermal-lows over West Africa, causing the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity (ITD) to shift far northward above the country.
This led to a significant influx of moisture into the western half of the country, deviating from the typical southward displacement during this season.
The increased moisture, coupled with existing atmospheric energy, naturally resulted in condensation and cloud formation.
Thunderstorms occurred over the Northwestern and North central regions, including Abuja, FCT, during the specified dates.
NiMet attributed this deviation to climate variability, a consequence of both natural and human-induced influences on global atmospheric processes.
The agency highlighted that similar phenomena are not exclusive to Nigeria and emphasized the impact of climate change, driven by activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
The agency assured the public that weather forecasts for the days in question were accurately predicted and reported.
It emphasized that these fluctuations are not a change in the season but temporary weather variations.
NiMet pledged to continue providing timely weather updates to the general public.
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