The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has alerted the public to the possibility of dust haze around some cities in northern Nigeria. This, the agency said, can affect horizontal visibility adversely.
The general manager, public relations, Muntaru Ibrahim stated this in a release from the agency’s weather report which indicated that “Stations in Niger (Maradi, Goure, Maine-Soroa, Agadez, Zinder and 61091) and Chad (Faya-Largeau) have reported dust haze with poor horizontal visibility.
“Strong winds at 800m are expected to transport the dust to the country, particularly the north and north-central regions, in the next few hours,” it read.
The release further disclosed that satellite images indicate that, in the next 24 hours, there are high prospects of thick dust haze (poor horizontal visibility, 1000m) over Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe and Jigawa; while other northern states are expected to report moderate dust haze (visibility of 2 to 5km).
According to the agency, the weather condition is expected to persist for the next three days, with day temperature expected to fall as a result of these plumes drifting into the country.
The weather agency advised members of the public to take necessary precautions due to dust particles presently in suspension over the atmosphere. Also, individuals with respiratory ailments are advised to protect themselves, as the current weather condition is not good for their health.
The release also disclosed that cold temperatures should be expected at night, hence warm clothes are advised for children.
Airline operators were advised to avail themselves of weather reports from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.
NiMet assured of continuous monitoring of the weather and to keep Nigerians informed of further changes.
