Heat Wave: NiMet warns temperature to rise as high as 40 degrees this week

Key highlights:

• Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, and Yola are at risk of experiencing high thermal discomfort.
• Oyo, Kwara, FCT, Nasarawa and Benue are expected to record temperatures between 35 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius.
• Nigerians in these locations were urged to drink lots of fluid through this period.

The Federal Government has warned Nigerians should drink lots of fluids this coming week due to rising temperatures, especially in Middle Belt and Northern states.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Sunday.

They added some states are expected to even surpass temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, they are  Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Taraba, and Adamawa.

40 degrees Celsius

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) said temperatures rise in some cities might lead to thermal discomfort in the affected cities in the next 48 hours.

They said the states that might be affected are Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Taraba, and Adamawa where temperatures might rise above 40 degrees Celsius, meanwhile, Oyo, Kwara, FCT, Nasarawa and Benue are expected to record temperatures between 35 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius.

Hydration

NiMet assured Nigerians that it would continue to update Nigerians accordingly during the period but warned Nigerians must stay hydrated, during the heat wave, they said:

• “Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, and Yola are at risk of experiencing high thermal discomfort.
• “People in these locations should drink lots of fluid through this period.”

Backstory

Recall Nairametrics reported earlier this month that The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) blamed the rising rate of fire incidents in markets across the country on the extremely dry weather before the rainy season.

The agency also urged that Nigerians should leverage insurance companies to safeguard and protect their properties and businesses as a form of risk transfer in case of fire.

NEMA DG, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, stated that fire, like  any other disaster, has been part of human existence, but the frequency and impacts of this in recent weeks have necessitated a serious concern and call for action by all stakeholders, adding:

• “In December last year, I had the cause to alert the public to the dangers of fire disasters during the dry season.
• “As with the onset of the dry season, the present onset of the rainy season is also characterised by typical windstorms that easily propagate combustible matter in form of dry vegetation and agricultural wastes.