- Passengers in northern Nigeria could experience flight disruptions due to deteriorating visibility caused by observed dust haze from Chad
- NiMet advises people with respiratory issues to take precautions and airlines to use NiMet weather reports for planning
Passengers in northern Nigeria may face massive flight disruptions and cancellations in the coming days due to deteriorating visibility in the region.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had warned the public that visibility could deteriorate in some northern states due to “observed dust haze propagated into the country from the source region.”
Mr. Muntari Ibrahim, NiMET’s General Manager of public Affairs, stated in a statement that stations in Chad’s source region (Faya-Largeau, Bol-Berim, Mongo, Abeche, and Ndjamena) have reported horizontal visibility between 800m and 4000m.
Other Niger sources (Diffa, Maine-Soroa, Goure, Bila, Maradi, Zinder, and Birni-n-Konni) have reported dust haze in poor visibility between 1000m and 3000m in the last 24 hours.”
According to the agency, dust haze (with moderate to poor horizontal visibility) is expected over the country’s northern parts in the next 24 hours, particularly over Katsina, Kano, Nguru, Jigawa, Potiskum, and Maiduguri.
As a result, NiMet advised the public to take the necessary precautions due to dust particles currently suspended in the atmosphere. Individuals suffering from respiratory ailments are advised to take precautions because the current weather conditions are hazardous to their health.
NiMet also advised airline operators to use NiMet weather reports for effective planning in their operations.
Airlines may be forced to readjust schedules or cancel flights due to reduced visibility in airports, as they are expected to adhere to “aerodrome operating minima.”
Max Air, one of the airlines with a northern base, warned passengers yesterday of possible flight delays and disruptions due to bad weather in certain cities.
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