Significant flooding has affected Nigeria recently, with over 150 deaths reported. Heavy rain struck the north of the country on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday, causing flooding along the Niger River. Thousands of people have been displaced and hundreds of homes destroyed. The district head described it as the region’s worst flood in 60 years.
Heavy rain is a normal occurrence in Nigeria during this time of year, as the country has a tropical climate influenced by the West African monsoon. The wet season runs from April to October due to land-sea temperature differences and the shifting Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a band of low pressure around the equator.
From March to September, the sun favors the northern hemisphere, resulting in greater incoming solar radiation. This causes land to heat up faster than water, creating surface low pressure over West Africa. Moister air is then drawn in from the Atlantic and later falls as rain. Additionally, the ITCZ moves northwards during the northern hemisphere summer, bringing more precipitation to North Africa.
This week, Niger and Nigeria will continue to experience rainfall but with below-average temperatures. These temperatures will drop by about 10 degrees Celsius below normal early in the week. Despite the rainfall, daytime highs will range from the mid to high 20s Celsius, compared to the usual climate average of mid to high 30s.
Northern Africa has also experienced extreme weather, with a severe summer storm hitting Alexandria in Egypt on Saturday. The city was affected by heavy rain, strong winds, and hail, resulting in flooded streets and power outages.
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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/02/weather-tracker-nigeria-deadly-flooding
