The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has warned Nigerians to prepare for a mixture of dust haze and thunderstorms across different parts of the country from Friday through Sunday. The weather outlook, published on Thursday in Abuja, indicates changing atmospheric patterns that will affect both northern and southern states.
According to a report by The ICIR, the agency stated that most parts of the North will see slight dust haze, while Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, and Kaduna states should expect moderate haze. However, isolated thunderstorms with light showers are likely to develop over Taraba State by Friday afternoon or evening.
The North-Central region is projected to experience sunny skies with cloud patches during the day. Later on Friday, scattered thunderstorms accompanied by light rainfall may hit parts of Kwara, Kogi, Benue, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Southern states will start Friday morning with cloudy skies, alongside possible light rains over Delta and Bayelsa states. As the day unfolds, moderate rainfall and thunderstorms are expected across Ondo, Ogun, Osun, and Ekiti states, spreading into the South-East and South-South regions.
Looking ahead to Saturday, northern states will remain sunny and hazy throughout the day. The North-Central will keep seeing sunny conditions with intermittent clouds, followed by light rains and isolated thunderstorms over Kogi, Kwara, and Benue in the afternoon and evening. Across the South, morning clouds will give way to thunderstorms and moderate rainfall in many areas later in the day.
NiMet noted that slight dust haze will persist across the North through the rest of the forecast period. It also projected light rains and isolated storms over Imo, Abia, and Anambra, with additional light rainfall touching parts of the South-West and South-South later in the day.
The agency urged members of the public, especially people dealing with asthma and other respiratory illnesses, to take protective measures against dust particles in the air. Strong winds are likely to blow before thunderstorms begin, prompting advice for residents to secure loose items around their homes.
NiMet further cautioned against taking shelter under tall trees during storms to avoid falling branches. The public was also advised to unplug electrical appliances from sockets, while airline operators were encouraged to collect airport-specific weather data from the agency to ensure safe flight planning.
