The Nigerian Meteorological Agency on Saturday confirmed that there was bad weather in the North leading to flight delays and cancellations that left many politicians stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
It was gathered that the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, including many serving and former senators and House of Representatives members, were among those trapped at the NAIA.
The politicians were said to be heading to Katsina State where the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, was being turbaned as the Dan Amanar Daura by the Daura Emirate Council.
Officials of NiMet and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority told our correspondent that many flights were delayed, while some others were cancelled following concerns of bad weather.
The General Manager, Public Relations, NiMet, Muntari Ibrahim, stated that the agency on Friday warned of a possible deterioration of horizontal visibility occasioned by a noticeable advection of dust from its source region in Faya-Lageau in the Chad Republic.
He said NiMet’s Central Forecast Office observed that fresh dust had been raised over Faya-Lageau in Chad Republic.
“This dust is currently being advected towards Nigeria. Its arrival into the country is expected to deteriorate horizontal visibility over most states in the North,” Ibrahim stated.
He told our correspondent that the horizontal visibility values of less than or equal to 1000m were expected over Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Gombe, Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi, Katsina, Zamfara and Kano.
Ibrahim added, “The condition is expected to persist from the evening of Friday, February 4, 2022, to the next 24 hours.
“Consequently flight operations may be disrupted and airline operators are advised to pick up their flight folders and adhere to regulations, especially at aerodromes in the northern parts of the country.
Also speaking on the situation, the spokesperson for the NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, told our correspondent that weather information was obtained from NiMet offices at each of the airports.
