An alarm has been raised that there is an impending dust haze that is expected to deteriorate visibility across the country in the coming days.
The Nigerian Meteorological (NiMet) Agency raised the concerns in a statement endorsed by its General Manager, Muntari Yusuf Ibrahim, in Abuja.
It also pointed at the need for airline operators to be on high alert, and avail themselves of weather reports from it, for effective planning in their operations.
The statement reads: “Winds over 10m and 925hPha are favourable for Dust-Haze propagations into the Northern parts of the country.
“Stations in the source region, Niger (Goure, Zinder, Maine-Soroa, Diffa, N-Guigmi and 61091) reported horizontal visibility between 800m and 6000m. The sources from Chad are expected to report poor horizontal visibility in the next 24 hours, based on available models.”
The statement revealed that due to strong winds, the dust in suspension is expected to propagate to some states in the northern part of the country, which will further reduce horizontal visibility, especially over Katsina, Kano, Nguru, Jigawa, Potiskum and Maiduguri in the next 24 hours.
NiMet, therefore, advises members of the public to take necessary precautions due to dust particles presently in suspension in the atmosphere.
The statement added: “Individuals with respiratory ailments are advised to protect themselves as the current weather condition is not good for their health.
“Airline operators are also advised to avail themselves of weather reports from NiMet for effective planning in their operations. NiMet will continue to monitor the weather and provide updates when necessary.”
