by crossriverwatch admin
The first rainfall in 2014 was recorded in Calabar in the early hours of Saturday with heavy thunderstorms and strong winds.
The rain which started at about 3:45am early Saturday however did not fall in some parts of Calabar Municipal Council Area.
Calabar weather has been unfriendly in the past weeks with high temperature and immense heat around the metropolis.
When CrossRiverWatch went out to sample reactions to the first rainfall in 2014, some of the respondents said the down pour was a big relief.
“The rain came as relief to many of us in Calabar who have been hoping that the level of heat will be reduced.
“It is a welcomed development because the weather has been so unfriendly as several people lost their belongings to petty thieves and burglars who use the advantage of people sleeping outside their rooms due to hot weather to disposed them of their personal belongings .
“My neighbor has been a victim of this due to lack of public power supply.” says Aniekan Okon who lives at 6 Adauko off Iyang street, Calabar South.
However, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET, said on Saturday afternoon that the rain which fell in Abuja and other parts of the country was not the beginning of the rainy season.
The Director-General of the agency, Anthony Anuforom, in a statement explained that “A sudden weather change occurred over Abuja and some other parts of the country due to a rapid movement of the line of demarcation between the south-westerly winds.
“The winds brought moisture from the Atlantic Ocean and the dry north-easterly winds from the Sahara Desert”.
Mr. Anuforom noted that this led to the influx of moisture to the inland, resulting in thunderstorms with strong winds.
“This type of weather occasionally occurs in January when the atmosphere becomes unstable and there is enough moisture in the atmosphere. It is important to state that this is not the beginning of 2014 rainy season as the condition is only temporary and is expected to return to normal very soon”.
The director also noted that the development was not as a result of climate change, adding that the usual January weather would still prevail.
According to the statement, the agency will closely monitor the weather developments continuously and provide further update as it evolves.
NIMET has concluded preparation of the Seasonal Weather Outlook for 2014 to be presented to the public soon.” The statement added.
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