The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned of the hazards of thunderstorms and other dangerous weather conditions, especially to the aviation industry.
The agency gave the warning following the onset of the rainy season, saying the rains currently prevalent in the southern parts of Nigeria and occasionally around the central states are usually accompanied by severe thunderstorms that are bound to affect air navigation.
It advised pilots and airline operators to exercise caution during flight operations throughout this season.
NiMet, in a statement by Muntari Yusuf, its general manager, Public Relations, on Saturday, also asked pilots and flight crew members to obtain adequate departure, en route, and destination weather information and briefing from NiMet offices before flight operations for effective planning in their air navigation operations.
“NiMet predicted rainfall to be earlier than the long-term average in most parts of the country during the 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP). The onset is expected to start from the coastal states of Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom in early March, progressively followed by the inland and central states,” the agency said in the statement.
“All of these pose significant threats to the safety of lives and property. The effects of thunderstorms are more hazardous to the aviation industry, particularly aircraft operations, and passengers. Thunderstorms can also cause delays, diversion, and cancellations of flights, as aircraft are often grounded in the face of severe weather,” it said..
NiMet said the recent thunderstorms recorded in the country’s coastal and inland states showed that its predictions were on-point, reliable, and accurate.
It said for areas where thunderstorms were expected, the weather hazard could cause significant disruptions as thunderstorms could lead to turbulence, lightning strikes, strong winds, heavy rainfall, down draught, microburst, and hailstones.
The agency further assured pilots, the aviation industry, and airport users that it had taken measures to mitigate the effects of thunderstorms on the aviation industry by installing weather monitoring systems, thunder detectors, satellite receiving ground stations, and Automatic Weather Systems (AWS) in airports (and other stations) across the country.
“Pilots and flight crew members should obtain adequate departure, en route, and destination weather information and briefing from NiMet offices before flight operations for effective planning in their air navigation operations,” NiMet said.
“The agency has also developed various products and services to help track the thunderstorms and its attendant hazards. The Pilot Briefing Rooms are always available for services,” it said.
