The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted 60 per cent chances of wittiest season ever in history over Nigeria in 2018.
NiMet disclosed this in its twitter handle @nimetnigeria in response to the heavy down pour that prevailed over Abuja in the early hours of Wednesday, December 20, 2017.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some residents of the FCT have expressed concern over the rainfall when it had since ceased in late October.
They said the rain could have some resultant effects considering the current nature of the climate.
Mr Zechariah Shegaje, a farmer in Kuje Area Council of FCT, said early or abrupt cessation of rain had affected some crops like beans known as cowpea which could not yield optimally.
Shegaje said that some farmers planted as early as August, while the majority planted into late September and early October.
He acknowledged that NiMet had predicted early cessation to be in the first or second week of November but occurred earlier than expected.
According to him, they don’t know why rain had to fall in late December because it is unusual.
While reacting to enquiries by Nigerians, the agency said that it was nothing to worry about, adding that it is an isolated event.
According to NiMet, it is nothing to worry about if we think this isolated event has come to change the norm a great way.
“What we should consider is the direction this unusual weather event is pointing us when it comes to climatic variability.
“Considering some of the current indices we are monitoring, there is a 60 per cent chance year 2018 will be one of the wettest in history as we approach a La-NIna phase of the ENSO.
“Once in a while, the diurnal fluctuations of the ITD (Intertropical discontinuity zone) could create these isolated events.
“No doubt this year has recorded some unusual weather events. Recall also the rainfall this year ended abruptly like we forecast (SRP 2017),” it said.
By Sumaila Ogbaje
