Lagos 24°C

Kano 23°C

Ibadan 25°C

Abuja 26°C

Calabar 25°C

Maiduguri 20°C

Aba 23°C

Enugu 24°C

Abeokuta 25°C

Port Harcourt 25°C

Onitsha 25°C

Zaria 18°C

Iwo 23°C

Lagos 25°C

Kano 21°C

Ibadan 24°C

Abuja 26°C

Calabar 24°C

Maiduguri 25°C

Aba 23°C

Enugu 24°C

Abeokuta 25°C

Port Harcourt 20°C

Onitsha 23°C

Zaria 21°C

Iwo 23°C

Nigeria is a country in West Africa. Nigeria shares land
borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and
Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies
on the Gulf of Guinea in the south and it borders Lake Chad
to the northeast. Noted geographical features in Nigeria
include the Adamawa highlands, Mambilla Plateau, Jos
Plateau, Obudu Plateau, the Niger River, River Benue and
Niger Delta.
Nigeria is found in the Tropics, where the climate is
seasonally damp and very humid. Nigeria is affected by four
climate types; these climate types are distinguishable, as
one moves from the southern part of Nigeria to the
northern part of Nigeria through Nigeria's middle belt.
Climate types found in Nigeria
The Tropical rainforest climate or the Equatorial
monsoon, designated by the Köppen climate
classification as "Af", is found in the southern part of the
country. This climate is influenced by the monsoons
originating from the South Atlantic ocean, which is brought
into the country by the (maritime tropical) MT airmass, a
warm moist sea to land seasonal wind. Its warmth and high
humidity gives it a strong tendency to ascend and produce
copious rainfall, which is a result of the condensation of
water vapour in the rapidly rising air.[1]
The Tropical rainforest climate has a very small
temperature range. Then temperature ranges are almost
constant throughout the year, for example, Warri town in
the southern part of Nigeria, records a maximum of 28 °C
(82.4 °F) for its hottest month while its lowest temperature
is 26 °C (78.8 °F) in its coldest month. The temperature
difference of Warri town is not more than 2 °C (5 °F).
The southern part of Nigeria experiences heavy and
abundant rainfall. These storms are usually convectional in
nature due to the regions proximity, to the equatorial belt.
The annual rainfall received in this region is very high,
usually above the 2,000 mm (78.7 in) rainfall totals giving
for tropical rainforest climates worldwide. Over 4,000 mm
(157.5 in) of rainfall is received in the coastal region of
Nigeria around the Niger delta area. Bonny town found in
the coastal region of the Niger delta area in southern
Nigeria receives well over 4,000 mm (157.5 in) of rainfall
annually. The rest of the southeast receives between 2,000
and 3,000 mm (118.1 in) of rain per year.
The southern region of Nigeria experiences a double
rainfall maxima characterised by two high rainfall
peaks, with a short dry season and a longer dry season
falling between and after each peaks. The first rainy
season begins around March and last to the end of July
with a peak in June,this rainy season is followed by a short
dry break in August known as the August break which is a
short dry season lasting for two to three weeks in August.
This break is broken by the Short rainy season starting
around early September and lasting to Mid October with a
peak period at the end of September. The ending of the
short rainy season in October is followed by Long Dry
Season. This period starts from late October and lasts till
early March with peak dry conditions between early
December and late February.[2]
The Tropical savanna climate or Tropical wet and
dry climate, is extensive in area and covers most of
Western Nigeria to central Nigeria beginning from the
Tropical rainforest climate boundary in southern Nigeria to
the central part of Nigeria, where it exerts enormous
influence on the region.
This climate, the tropical savanna climate exhibits a well
marked rainy season and a dry season with a single peak
known as the summer maximum due to its distance
from the equator. Temperatures are above 18 °C (64 °F)
throughout the year. Abuja, Nigeria's capital city found in
central Nigeria, has a temperature range of 18.45 °C
(65.21 °F) to 36.9 °C (98.4 °F), and an annual rainfall of about
1,500 mm (59.1 in) with a single rainfall maxima in
September.[3]
The single Dry season experienced in this climate, the
tropical savanna climate in central Nigeria beginning from
December to march, is hot and dry with the Harmattan
wind, a continental tropical (CT) airmass laden with dust
from the Sahara Desert prevailing throughout this period.
With the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) swinging
northward over West Africa from the Southern Hemisphere
in April, heavy showers coming from pre-monsoonal
convective clouds mainly in the form of squall lines also
known as the north easterlies formed mainly as a result of
the interactions of the two dominant airmasses in Nigeria
known as the Maritime tropical(south westerlies) and the
Continental tropical(north easterlies),[4] begins in central
Nigeria while the Monsoons from the south atlantic ocean
arrives in central Nigeria in July bringing with it high
humidity, heavy cloud cover and heavy rainfall which can be
daily occurrence lasting till September when the monsoons
gradually begin retreating southward to the southern part
of Nigeria.Rainfall totals in central Nigeria varies from
1,100 mm (43.3 in) in the lowlands of the river Niger Benue
trough to over 2,000 mm (78.7 in) along the south western
escarpment of the Jos Plateau.[5]
The Sahel Climate or Tropical dry climate, is the
predominant climate type in the northern part of Nigeria.
Annual rainfall totals are lower compared to the southern
and central part of Nigeria.
Rainy season in the northern part of Nigeria last for only
three to four months (June–September). The rest of the
year is hot and dry with temperatures climbing as high as
40 °C (104.0 °F) .
Alpine climate or highland climate or mountain
climate, are found on highlands regions in Nigeria.
Highlands with the alpine climate in Nigeria, are well over
1,520 metres (4,987 ft) above sea level. Due to their
location in the tropics, this elevation is high enough to
reach the temperate climate line in the tropics thereby
giving the highlands, mountains and the plateau regions
standing above this height, a cool mountain climate.
Seasons
Nigeria, like the rest of West Africa and other tropical lands,
has only two seasons. These are the Dry season and the
Rainy season. The dry season is accompanied by a dust
laden airmass from the Sahara Desert, locally known as
Harmattan, or by its main name, The Tropical
Continental (CT) airmass , while the rainy season is
heavily influenced by an airmass originating from the south
atlantic ocean, locally known as the south west wind, or by
its main name, The Tropical Maritime (MT) airmass.
These two major wind systems in Nigeria are known as the
trade winds.
Trade winds
The Tropical Maritime Airmass (MT) is responsible for
Nigeria's rainy season. This wind (the Tropical Maritime
Airmass) invades the country from February in the southern
part of Nigeria while it takes longer for the wind to fully
cover the whole of the country, reaching the northern part
of Nigeria in June. Its invasion is as a result of the
northward retreat, of the tropical continental airmass (CT)
known as the harmattan. The northward retreat of the
tropical continental airmass (CT), is caused by the sun's
northward shift from the tropic of capricorn in the southern
hemisphere to the tropic of cancer in the northern
hemisphere. This shift begins from February and ends in
June, when the sun is fully overhead, at the tropic of cancer
in the northern hemisphere.
During this northward migration of the sun as a result of
the earth tilting along its axis, the sun crosses the equator
(around March), moving over west Africa at this time on its
journey to the northern hemisphere. West Africa comes
directly under the sun at this time. The sun is overhead
throughout west Africa and over Nigeria during this period
of the sun's northward migration to the tropic of cancer in
the northern hemisphere.
The whole of West Africa is heated intensely as result of the
increased insolation received from the sun being overhead
over west Africa. Temperatures can climb as high as 35 °C
(95.0 °F) over west Africa during this time. Temperatures in
the northern part of Nigeria can go as high as 48 °C
(118.4 °F) in cities like Maiduguri.[6]
The high temperatures coupled with an increase in
insolation causes a region of low pressure to develop over
west Africa and Nigeria (between March to May). The
Tropical continental airmass (CT) from the Sahara Desert in
the northern part of West Africa, is weakened due to the
overheating of the land surface in west Africa and Nigeria
at this time. The Tropical continental airmass (CT) begins
to retreat northwards to the Sahara Desert due to massive
heating of the land which transfers heat in the form of
convection into the Tropical continental airmass (CT) which
constitutes the main layer of air above the land. This
transfer of heat in the Tropical continental airmass (CT) in
turn, causes the wind to expand and become lighter as this
is the normal behaviour for winds moving above intensely
heated grounds. The Tropical continental airmass (CT)
loses its strength as a major airmass in the region of west
Africa and over Nigeria at this time (around February in the
southern part of Nigeria to June in northern Nigeria) and
begins to retreat coupled with the rising of air in form of
convection within this airmass (Tropical continental
airmass (CT)), further weakening the dominance of the wind
over west Africa and Nigeria. The Tropical continental
airmass (CT) finally retreats from most part of Nigeria, and
the West African atmosphere around April to May, leaving
an empty atmosphere over Nigeria. The sun's rays enters
into the atmosphere of Nigeria more intense than it does
during the presence of the Tropical continental airmass,
which contained dust (in form of haze) that reduced the
intensity of the sun.[7] The overheating of the west Africa
land mass and Nigeria in particular creates a low pressure
region over west Africa and Nigeria. This low pressure zone
attracts the Tropical Maritime Airmass (MT) from the south
Atlantic Ocean since areas of low pressures experiences
inward blowing winds because winds are moving air
blowing outwards from regions of high pressure to regions
of low pressure.
The Tropical Maritime Airmass is a warm humid and
unstable trade wind due to its warmth. Convectional
currents are easily set up within the airmass whenever
there is little instability in the airmass as a result of a slight
to a very high orographic uplift in mountainous regions like
the obudu plateau or the heating of the land which can
trigger the formation of cumulonimbus cloud leading to
thunderstorms within the airmass.
During the dominance of the Tropical Maritime Airmass
(MT) in the rainy season of Nigeria, mornings are bright and
sunny, the sun's heating of the land in the mornings and
afternoons sets up convectional currents, these currents
rise vertically and cumulonimbus clouds are formed, by
afternoons to evenings, torrential downpour follows.
The Easterly wave or the African easterly waves is another
major contributor of rainfall during the summer monsoons
months of May to September in Nigeria.
The nature of this waves changes at about the 15 degrees
line. The waves that pass south of this line carry moisture
and create convection that leads to rain clouds.[8] Nigeria's
northern end is south of the 15 degrees line at about 14
degrees.[9] Nigeria's location in the wetter part of the
easterly waves south of the 15 degree line creates wetter
climatic conditions for Nigeria especially during the
monsoons.
The Tropical Continental Airmass (CT) locally known as the
harmattan, is a wind originating from North Africa which
crosses the Sahara Desert into west Africa to Nigeria. This
airmass dominates Nigeria's climate during the dry season
from December to March. The Tropical continental airmass
is dusty and creates a haze within the atmosphere of west
Africa and Nigeria when it predominates. The haze is as a
result of the dust within the airmass limiting visibility and
blocking much of the sun's rays from reaching the earth.
The airmass has no ability of forming rain due to low
humidity within the airmass, since it crosses the Sahara
Desert, it picks up dust instead of water thereby creating
little chances for rainfall.
The airmass makes life difficult as a result of low visibility
which hampers transportation. The dust haze creates an
almost desert conditions in the country during the
dominance of the Tropical continental airmass (the
harmattan). But its coming brings some relief to farmers
since the low humidity present in the air quickens the drying
of their crops.
Temperature
Nigeria's location in the tropics has given her a tropical hot
climate. Temperatures in Nigeria vary according to the
seasons of the year as with other lands found in the tropics.
Nigeria's seasons are determined by rainfall with rainy
season and dry season being the major seasons in Nigeria.
The rainy season of Nigeria brings in cooler weather to the
country as a result of an increased cloud cover that acts as
a blockage to the intense sunshine of the tropics by
blocking much of the suns rays in the rainy season; this in
turn cools the land, and the winds above the ground
remains cool thereby making for cooler temperatures
during the rainy season. But afternoons in the rainy season
can be hot and humid, a feature of tropical climates.
The dry season of Nigeria is a period of little cloud cover in
the southern part of Nigeria to virtually no cloud cover in
the northern part of Nigeria. The sun shines through the
atmosphere with little obstructions from the clear skies
making the dry season in Nigeria a period of warm weather
conditions. In the middle of the dry season around
December, a dusty wind from the Sahara Desert called the
harmattan enters Nigeria from the northeastern part of the
country blocking sun rays partially from shining and also
creating haze in the atmosphere, this activities of the wind
lowers temperatures considerably saving inhabitants for
sometime, from the scorching heat that would have
occurred as a result of clearer skies during the dry season.
But with the withdrawal of this wind around March to April
following the onset of the rainy season, temperatures can
go as high as 44 °C (111.2 °F) in some parts of Nigeria.[10]
Semi temperate weather conditions prevail on the
highlands in central Nigeria above 1,200 metres (3,937 ft)
above sea level, namely the Jos Plateau. Temperatures on
the Jos plateau ranges between 21°C to 25°C which are
cool all year round.
Temperate weather conditions occur on the highlands
along the Nigeria Cameroon border, in the eastern part of
Nigeria. Highlands in these region attain an average height
of more than 1,524 m (5,000 ft) to some standing above
2,000 metres (6,562 ft) above sea level. The climate on
these highlands is temperate all year round. The major
highlands in this region are the Obudu Plateau above
1,584 m (5,197 ft), Mambilla Plateau above 1,524 m
(5,000 ft) and Mt Chappal Waddi above 2,000 m (6,562 ft).

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