NiMet forecasts 3-day sunshine, haziness

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency of Nigeria (NiMet) has predicted sunny and hazy weather activities from Wednesday to Friday. NiMet`s weather outlook released on Tuesday in Abuja envisaged sunny skies in hazy atmosphere on Wednesday over the northern region of the country throughout the forecast period. According to NiMet, hazy skies with patches of cloud are expected over the North Central and inland cities of the South with prospects of afternoon or evening thunderstorms over parts of Osun, Ondo, Edo and Ogun States. It forecast cloudy skies with spells of sunshine and morning thunderstorms over parts of Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States in the coastal region of the South. READ ALSO: If Kemi Badenooch were Igbo NiMet predicted thunderstorms over parts of Delta, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States later in the day. “ For Thursday, slight dust haze is anticipated over the northern region of the country throughout the forecast period. `Hazy skies with patches of cloud are expected over the North Central and inland cities of the South with prospects of afternoon or evening thunderstorms over parts of Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Osun States. “In the coastal region of the South, cloudy skies with spells of sunshine are anticipated with prospects of morning thunderstorms over parts of Cross River States, “ it said. The agency envisaged thunderstorms over parts of Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States later in the day. NiMet predicted moderate dust haze on Friday with horizontal visibility of 2km to 5km over the northern region of the country throughout the forecast period. READ ALSO: Why Nigerians should not pay tax It forecast slight dust haze over the North Central region of the country throughout the forecast period. “ Hazy skies with patches of cloud are expected over the inland States of the South throughout the forecast period. “In the coastal region of the South, cloudy skies with spells of sunshine are anticipated over the region in the morning hours. “ Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Rivers, Delta, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States, “ it said. According to NiMet dust particles are in suspension, public should take necessary precaution and people with asthmatic health condition and other respiratory issues should be cautious of the present weather condition. The agency urged the public to take adequate precaution as strong winds might precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur. READ ALSO: Tinubu meets Rivers Gov, Ogoni leaders at the Villa `Adhere to safety advisories issued by relevant authorities. Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations. “Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet. Visit our website www.nimet.gov.ng, “ it said. 

Stakeholders lagging behind on global warming fight, says UN

The United Nations has said that the world is not on target to curb global warming, insisting that more action is needed from all stakeholders. According to the Global Stocktake report, “The Paris Agreement has driven near-universal climate action by setting goals and sending signals to the world regarding the urgency of responding to the climate crisis,” it said. “While action is proceeding, much more is needed now on all fronts.” The report, culminating a two-year evaluation of the 2015 Paris climate agreement goals, distils thousands of submissions from experts, governments and campaigners and will lay the groundwork for the global stock-take discussion at COP28. Nearly 200 countries agreed in 2015 in Paris to limit warming to no more than 2 Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to strive to keep the increase to 1.5 C. While each country is responsible for deciding its own climate actions, they also agreed to submit to a progress report by 2023 to see what more should be done. Some of the world’s most climate vulnerable countries expect the report to spur action from global leaders. The U.N. said existing national pledges to cut emissions were insufficient to keep temperatures within the 1.5 C threshold. More than 20 gigatonnes of further CO2 reductions were needed this decade – and global net zero by 2050 – in order to meet the goals, the U.N. assessment said. “With leaders gathering this month for the United Nations Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit ahead of COP28, the findings and recommendations of this Report need to be a wake-up call and a trigger for cogent commitments,” chair of Association of Small Island States, Pa’olelei Luteru said. The report urged countries to cut the use of “unabated” coal power by 67-92% by 2030 versus 2019 levels and to virtually eliminate it as a source of electricity by 2050. Low and zero-carbon electricity should account for as much as 99% of the global total by mid-century, while technological challenges holding back carbon capture must be resolved. The report also called for funding to be unlocked to support low-carbon development, noting that billions of dollars were still being invested in fossil fuels. “It serves up a bold to-do list for governments to limit warming to 1.5C and protect people everywhere from climate devastation,” said Tom Evans, policy advisor on climate diplomacy at British climate think tank E3G. Commitment is needed to phase out fossil fuels, set 2030 targets for renewable energy expansion, ensure the financial system funds climate action, and raise funds for adaptation and damage, he said. “Anything less will fall short on the necessary steps laid out in this report.”

Global Warming: July 2023 is hottest month since 1880 -NASA

July was hotter than any other month in the global temperature record, which dated back to 1880, NASA has said. Overall, July was 0.24 degrees Celsius warmer than any other July in NASA’s records, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). July 2023 was 1.18 degrees Celsius warmer than the average July between 1951 and 1980, NASA said. “NASA data confirms what billions around the world literally felt: temperatures in July 2023 made it the hottest month on record,’’ NASA administrator Bill Nelson said. “The science is clear. We must act now to protect our communities and planet; it’s the only one we have.’’ Parts of South America, North Africa, North America, and the Antarctic Peninsula were especially hot, experiencing temperatures increased around 4 degrees Celsius above average, NASA said. According to NASA data, the five hottest Julys since 1880 had all happened in the past five years. GISS Director, Gavin Schmidt said warming around earth was primarily driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. He said: “And that rise in average temperatures is fueling dangerous extreme heat that people are experiencing here at home and worldwide.’’ High sea surface temperatures contributed to July’s record warmth with NASA’s analysis showing especially warm ocean temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific. It said evidence of the weather phenomenon known as El Niño that began developing in May. Phenomena such as El Niño or La Niña, which warm or cool the tropical Pacific Ocean, can contribute a small amount of year-to-year variability in global temperatures. NASA expects to see the biggest impacts of El Niño in February, March and April 2024.