The Nigerian Meteorological Agency on Thursday said Lagos, Ogun and Cross River states would be affected by floods between June and early part of July.

    The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, NIMET, DR. Anthony Anuforom, said the groundwater in these states were already high because heavier rains had been recorded in and around the states.

    Anuforom spoke at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja while updating journalists on the 2013 rainfall pattern.

    He said, there are strong indications that the groundwater over Cross River, Lagos and Ogun states are already very wet (saturated) and these areas are expected to be affected by floods following the arrival of more rains particularly as the first peak in the rainy season in June to early July 2013 is about to set in.

    “Heavier rains have been recorded in and around Abeokuta, Calabar(Cross River), Lagos, Ijebu Ode(Ogun), Lokoja(kogi), Akure(Ondo), Ibadan(Oyo) and Owerri(Imo) this year than same period (January to May) last year,”

    He stated that on the other hand, less rains were recorded in parts of Northern Niger state (Bida), North of Oyo state (Iseyin), Jos (Plateau state), Yelwa and Zaria (Kaduna) this year than last year.

    Anuforom observed that although the agency had in February informed Nigerians that a normal rainfall season was predicted for many parts of the country, the trend may still result in flooding and its associated consequences.

    He said the consequences would be mainly as a result of high intensity of rainfall event, as well as to dumping of refuse into water channels and drainages.

    He stated that the earlier prediction also highlighted a possible higher than 2012 rainfall amount over upper north-western flank of the country which corresponds to the Niger basin.

        The NIMET boss observed that after evaluating the 2013 rainfall prediction, it was discovered that there had been more rainfall between January and May 2013 across the country than over long term (1981 – 2010) period.

    “These rains have been heavy over Lagos, Calabar, Ogoja, Uyo and Lokoja. This trend agrees 100 percent with the 2013 predictions released in February this year.” Anuforom said.