By Sodiq Lawal
Following observed thick dust plumes from the source region of Niger and Chad, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency NiMet has alerted farmers, airline operators and the public on a possible deterioration of horizontal visibility in some states in the northern part of the country.
According to a release issued by Muntari Ibrahim, the General Manager, Public Relations of NiMet, “NiMet expects … prospects of Thick Dust Haze, in poor horizontal visibility, less than1000m, over Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano and Kaduna states; while other parts of the North and North Central states are expected to report Moderate Dust-Haze of visibility of 2-5km”.
“This weather condition is expected to persist … As a result, NiMet advises members of the public to take necessary precautions due to dust particles presently in suspension over the atmosphere.
“Individuals with respiratory ailments are advised to protect themselves as the current weather condition is not good for their health. Night-time cold temperatures should be expected so warm clothes are advised for the little children.
“Airline operators are advised to avail themselves of weather reports from NiMet for effective planning in their operations. The Central Forecast Office (CFO) in NiMet will continue to monitor the weather and provide updates when necessary”, the statement added.
