Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) weather forecast has predicted that flooding will occur in some parts of Borno, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bayelsa and Delta states in the next few days.
According to NiMet, its soil moisture analysis and the weather patterns have shown that some parts of the above listed states are flood high risk areas.
The Agency’s Director General, Prof. Mansur Matazu, gave this warning at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
Lately, flooding has been ravaging communities in Jigawa and Sokoto states following increased rainfall in the last few days. Hundreds of houses and swathe of farmlands have been submerged and destroyed by the flood.
NiMet prediction shows that these patterns will continue in the coming days or weeks.
Matazu stated that in the recent analysis of the soil moisture carried out in the last 48 hours, the states were most vulnerable to flood.
He said, “The high risks areas are the central parts of Borno State, the northern parts of Kebbi and Sokoto states, including central parts of Kaduna State with a portion of some parts of Bayelsa State and Delta State.”
The NiMet DG said the medium risk areas include central parks of Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger and western parts of Kaduna. Others are some parts of Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba states, southern Borno and Yobe states.
He said the forecast shows low risk to flooding in the remaining parts of the country.
Matazu, who also briefed on the climatic conditions for the remaining wet season (August to October 2022), indicated that southwestern states like Lagos, Ogun, Osun, much of Oyo, Ondo, parts of Ekiti, and Edo States; will experience normal to above rainfall in the period under review; while normal rainfall conditions are expected in the central states, most of Kaduna, Adamawa, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo, parts of Bauchi, Gombe and Ondo States.
He said normal to Below Normal conditions are expected over the South-South and the inland states such as Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states.
The Agency, therefore, advised states and emergency response agencies to upscale awareness around vulnerable areas and advise the residents on evacuation plans.
He said those who live around flood plains are very vulnerable and should take safety precautions.
He also tasked states to conduct vulnerability acccessment and work with the vulnerable communities to mitigate the impacts of the flood.