NIMET Warns Against Violent Winds

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has warned
Nigerians to take precautions against violent winds that may occur during the
dry season, due to the effects of climate change.

The Director-General of NIMET, Dr Anthony Anuforom, gave the
warning in Abuja in an interview with our correspondent.

He said that windy weather was expected during the dry
season, following more heavy rains likely to lead to more floods between
September and October.

He cautioned people not to stay under trees during the
period.

“We are transiting now from rainy to dry season, the kind of
things we may experience are violent winds. Therefore, we advice people to avoid
staying under trees.

“The reason why we alert people is for them to know ahead of
time and take necessary precautions.

“We have no ability to protect natural disasters but the
ability to observe what the weather is and inform the people early.

“Part of the mandate of the Ministry of Aviation is safety
and we as an agency under it have keyed into it,’’ Anuforom said.

He noted that forecast by the agency if strictly adhered to
could help save the situation, adding that any emergency situation could only surprise
people unexpectedly if there were no early warnings.

“If adequate disaster risk measures are taken, the number of
deaths will decrease because people must have known what to expect,’’ Anuforom
said,  adding that the 2013 annual
seasonal rainfall predictions bulletin on weather and climate would be released
early to get people prepared and make use of it.

It will be recalled that NIMET on September 26, predicted
more heavy rainstorms that may lead to serious flooding before October.