Omotayo Adigun
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has issued a weather outlook predicting widespread haziness and thunderstorm activity across the country from Tuesday, May 7th to Thursday, May 9th, 2025.
The forecast, released on Monday in Abuja, advises the public, particularly those with respiratory conditions, and airline operators to take necessary precautions.
For Tuesday, NiMet anticipates a slight dust haze affecting parts of Katsina and Kano states throughout the day. Later in the afternoon and evening, thunderstorms are expected to develop over parts of Taraba and Adamawa states. The North Central region is predicted to experience sunny skies with intermittent cloud cover. However, there is a likelihood of thunderstorms over parts of Nasarawa State during the morning hours, followed by anticipated thunderstorms in parts of Kogi, Kwara, Benue, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) later in the day.
The southern states are also bracing for potential weather changes, with thunderstorms forecasted for parts of Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Edo, Abia, Imo, Bayelsa, Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom states later on Tuesday.
Moving into Wednesday, NiMet forecasts cloudy skies with spells of sunshine across the northern states throughout the forecast period. Similar to Tuesday, thunderstorms are expected in parts of Taraba and Adamawa states during the afternoon or evening. The North Central region is likely to experience thunderstorms in parts of the FCT, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Niger, and Nasarawa states during the afternoon and evening hours. The southern region is expected to see morning thunderstorms in parts of Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers states.
This activity is predicted to extend into the afternoon and evening, affecting parts of Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Abia, Lagos, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, and Delta states.
READ ALSO: We’re Suffering—NiMet Workers Protest Poor Pay, Welfare Conditions
Looking ahead to Thursday, NiMet predicts sunny skies with occasional cloud patches over the northern region for the entire day. The North Central region is expected to have sunny skies with patches of cloud during the morning hours.
NiMet has strongly advised the public to take necessary precautions due to the presence of dust particles in the air, emphasizing that individuals with respiratory issues should be particularly cautious of the prevailing weather conditions.
The agency also warned that strong winds may precede rainfall in areas where thunderstorms are likely and urged the public to stay away from tall trees to mitigate the risk of falling branches and broken trees.
Furthermore, NiMet has specifically advised airline operators to obtain airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) directly from the agency to ensure effective planning and safety in their flight operations during this period of anticipated haziness and thunderstorms.