Meteorologist predicts damaging storms

Stormy rains expected this year might destroy houses and  trees across the country, a meteorologist has predicted.

Prof. Temi Ologunorisa Ologunorisa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos that   though the early rains would lead to bumper harvest, it would wreak havoc on  communities along the coastal areas.

“Communities, especially those along the coastal areas and deforested parts of the country would be exposed to damaging storms.

“Houses with old and not properly designed roofs would be blown away, thereby  exposing inhabitants of such areas to terrible rainstorm disasters,’’ he said.

Ologunorisa is the Director, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Studies, Osun State University, Osogbo.

He explained that the damaging storms would be caused by “reversal in the movement of thunderstorms and line squall”.

The meteorologist therefore, urged governments at all levels to fashion out measures to mitigate the impact of the storms on the people and the environment.

He also advised estate developers to ensure that houses were roofed with “environmentally friendly” designs.

“The expected damaging storms is traceable to the prevailing effects of climate change.

“We therefore, need to change our roofing patterns to  be able to accommodate heat, storms and other climate related problems,’’ he said.

Ologunorisa decried the high rate of deforestation across the country, saying that the absence of trees would worsen the effects of the storms on the people.

He urged governments, private organisations and individuals to be committed to planting trees in deforested areas.