Godwin Haruna
10 May 2011
Nigerians have been advised to avoid heavy rains and stay away from trees and shaky rooftops as the rains and windstorms continue to wreak havoc.
Only last Sunday, a stormy rain led to the uprooting of the tree that killed the wife of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mrs. Mimi Katsina-Alu, and injured the CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, at their country home in Alu, Oshongo Local Government area of Benue State.
Such rains have also been witnessed in the Lagos area from Saturday to Monday afternoon sweeping everything on its path.
However, speaking to THISDAY in a telephone interview Monday, the General Manager, Public Weather Service with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Mr Wilson Samson, advised Nigerians not to panic as a result of the strong windstorms that had accompanied the rains since the beginning of the rainy season this year.
Samson described the strong windstorms as a phenomenon during early and late rains in the country.
He said NIMET had forecast in its annual report in February that the public should expect such rains and stay away from trees and shaky rooftops because it has the potential to cause havoc.
“The danger really is that trees could fall on objects or human beings and shaky rooftops could be blown off with dire consequences during such rains,” Samson said.
Asked if the phenomenon is related to climate change, he said it had not yet been investigated and no opinion could be offered until analyses are examined at the end of the season.
He added that investigations are always carried out at the end of the season to determine if the rains experienced were normal or otherwise.
In February, NIMET predicted that rainfall throughout the country this year would be heavier with early onset than it was in 2010.
Statistically, it said the variation would be between 300mm and 1100mm in the North and from 1200mm to 2700mm in the South.
The situation, NIMET added, would however be interspersed with occasional dry spells around the country.
AllAfrica – All the Time
Taken from:
Panic as Heavy Rains, Windstorms Wreak Havoc