Adedokun Waliyu 
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast widespread rainfall and thunderstorms across many parts of Nigeria on Thursday, warning residents to prepare for possible flooding, strong winds, lightning, and poor visibility.
In its latest weather outlook shared on its official X account, the agency said the wet weather is expected to affect states across the northern, north-central, and southern regions of the country.
According to NiMet, northern Nigeria will experience patches of cloud on Thursday morning, with thunderstorms and light rainfall expected in parts of Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Adamawa, and Taraba states. The agency warned that some communities could experience localised flooding and advised residents to take necessary safety precautions.
Later in the afternoon and evening, isolated thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rainfall are expected across parts of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Borno, and Taraba states. The storms may also be accompanied by lightning and occasional strong winds.
For the North-Central region, thunderstorms with light rainfall are expected during the morning, followed by more widespread thunderstorms and moderate rainfall later in the day across parts of Niger, Kwara, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). NiMet warned that localised flooding and reduced visibility could occur in some of these areas.
In southern Nigeria, rainfall is forecast for parts of Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, and Ekiti states in the morning, with moderate rainfall expected to spread across most parts of the region during the afternoon and evening. The agency noted that the prolonged rainfall could trigger localised flooding, especially in low-lying and poorly drained communities.
NiMet advised residents to be alert for strong winds that often precede thunderstorms and urged motorists to drive carefully during periods of heavy rainfall and poor visibility.
The agency also warned members of the public not to walk or drive through floodwaters and advised people to avoid taking shelter under tall trees during thunderstorms because of the danger of lightning strikes.
Additionally, NiMet urged airline operators to obtain airport-specific weather forecasts from the agency to support safe and efficient flight operations.
