PROF. Clement Akosile, the President of Nigerian Meterological Society (NMetS), on Wednesday, said the intense heat being experienced after rainfall was caused by sun ray reaching the ground.

Akosile said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos. He gave the explanation following intense heat being experienced after downpour in Lagos.

He said “dust is already coming from the North and beyond and is still travelling South until it gets to the coast. “It is still raining in the South because the South is by the ocean, unlike in the Middle Belt and the far North.

“When water is polarising, it comes more from the Ocean. “The heat after rain is because air washes off the dust, allowing sun ray to reach ground. “It then becomes intense after the rain has cooled the ground.

“For now, it is still raining in the South but far North is dry because of the ocean but very soon, the rain will stop in the South too.”

The NMetS president said the weather variations would have adverse effects on plants in the Middle Belt and far North of the country.

He added that while plants in the Middle Belt would be stressed, other plants with long roots and were able to tap water underground would survive in the far North. He explained that plants in the South would still have water as the rate of evaporation was not high yet.

He said that the heavy rainfall causing flooding depended on whether the water was absorbed rapidly and if the water passages were blocked.

Akosile said the amount of rain that fell per unit time determine whether there would be flood or not. He also said that water-borne diseases could increase because dirt that littered the streets solidify and block the drains.

“And very soon, bush burning would increase in the Middle Belt which would further dry up the ground, while heat-related illnesses would be prevalent in the North,” he added. – NAN

– Nov 8, 2017 @ 12:54 GMT |