Weather forecast: NiMet predicts early rains in Southern, North-Central states

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted an early onset of rains across several southern and North-Cen­tral states.

Specifically, these regions will experience a longer-than-normal rainy season in parts of the coun­try, including Lagos and Benue, along with generally warmer temperatures nationwide —with major implications for agricul­ture, aviation, infrastructure, and disaster risk management.

The outlook was unveiled yesterday in Abuja by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) during the public presentation of the 2026 Seasonal Climate Predic­tion (SCP), where the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Develop­ment, Festus Keyamo, described the document as a strategic na­tional planning tool aligned with the federal government’s devel­opment priorities.

According to highlights of the 2026 SCP, early rainfall onset is expected in Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Oyo, and parts of Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Adamawa, and Taraba states, while Borno State is likely to experience a delayed onset.

Rainfall cessation is projected to be earlier than normal in parts of Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Imo, Riv­ers, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, and Niger states, while a delayed end of the rainy season is expected in Lagos, Ogun, Anambra, Enugu, Cross River, Benue, Nasarawa, and Ka­duna states.

NiMet also predicted a lon­ger-than-normal rainy season in Lagos, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ogun, Oyo, Nasarawa, Anambra, Kwara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Gombe, and Taraba states, while parts of Borno, Yobe, and Niger states are expected to record a shorter rainy season.

On rainfall totals, the agency anticipates normal annual rain­fall across most parts of the coun­try, with above-normal rainfall expected in Borno, Sokoto, Keb­bi, Kaduna, Enugu, Cross River, Abia, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom states, and the Federal Capital Territory.

Below-normal rainfall is pro­jected for parts of Katsina, Zam­fara, Kwara, Oyo, and Ogun states. The SCP also warned of severe dry spells during the season, in­cluding dry spells of up to 21 days in parts of Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara states.

The August break is expect­ed to be severe and prolonged in Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, and parts of Oyo states, lasting between 28 and 40 days.

Both daytime and nighttime temperatures are predicted to be warmer than the long-term aver­age across most parts of Nigeria between January and May 2026.

In his remarks, the Direc­tor-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, said the agency remains committed to providing author­itative, science-based climate in­formation to support informed planning and decision-making in Nigeria’s increasingly variable climate.