A Consultant Meteorologist, Mr. Idowu Adebayo, says Nigeria is prone to severe hurricane, typical of that being experienced in America, Europe and the Caribbean.
Adebayo said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) on Wednesday in Lokoja, Kogi State, that the evidence of climate change in different forms like the recent flood disasters was enough indication that Nigerian was prone to severe storms.
Several states were devastated by flood this year, killing many people, destroying property and submerging several houses and farmlands.
The meteorologist with years of collaboration with the United Nation International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) in Geneva, told NAN that many of the storms being experienced in America and Europe, actually originated from the West and Central Africa.
“Storms from West and Central African regions move systematically with different intensities into the Atlantic and across the East Coast of America and the Caribbean,’’ he said.
Adebayo said the Hurricane Katrina and Sandy Storm, which recently swept across the America, had not been scientifically established to have originated from West and Central Africa.
He said Nigeria had been experiencing hurricanes but that the intensity only became noticeable on 31 July, 2000.
“That was when a severe hurricane swept through the country, causing substantial damage to farms and the environment but without hitting the cities.’’
Adebayo said severe storms had since been passing through Nigeria without attention paid to them by the government.
“Work should start now with post-mortem to be carried out on the storms that passed through the country this year.
“This is to enable us have some background information on what to expect in the coming years.
“Nigeria is susceptible to severe storms and this means that our level of preparedness has to be above average in terms of budgetary provisions and procurement of right equipment,” he said.
According to him, time is ripe for Nigeria to discard the manual system of observation and monitoring for a satellite-based one.
“This is to allow for accurate weather forecast and ascertain the level of vulnerability in different parts of the country.
He also called for closer collaboration among NIMET, NEMA and other agencies responsible for issuance of early warnings and forecasts.
Adebayo said that such collaboration would ensure accuracy of information and avoidance of confusion as witnessed during the flood disaster.
He suggested the establishment of dedicated channels for issuance of weather forecast and warnings to the public.
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