The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda on Thursday summoned all relevant stakeholders in the State to deliberate on possible ways to reduce the impact of heavy downpours and flooding predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET).

The Governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government of the State, Hon. Abdullahi Garba Faskari in a press briefing held at the SSG’s office, in the State Secretariat said, the State Government deemed it fit to take proactive measures to avert the predicted situation.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to start sensitising the general public to reduce the impact of the expected heavy rainfall.

The meeting was attended by the State Commissioners for Health, Environment, Agriculture and Livestock Development, Water Resources, Finance, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs alongside Local Government Chairmen of Bakori, Bindawa, Daura, Funtua and Katsina.

“We gather all relevant stakeholders in this matter on the need to do the needful to avert any ugly situation that may arise due to the predicted heavy rainfall. We deem it fit to take proactive measures following the prediction by the NiMET. And by coming together, underscores the importance of this matter”, Faskari added.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had on September 10th 2024, predicted thunderstorms and rains from Wednesday to Friday across the country.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Tuesday in Abuja envisaged thunderstorms over parts of Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe, Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna States during the morning hours on Wednesday in the northern region.

According to NiMet, thunderstorms are also expected over parts of Kano, Borno, Katsina, Adamawa, Kaduna, Taraba, Zamfara, Kebbi and Jigawa States during afternoon and evening hours.

It also predicted intermittent rains over parts of Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Anambra, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo, Rivers, Cross River, Delta and Akwa Ibom States later in the day.

Similarly, thunderstorms are according to NiMET, expected over parts of Taraba and Adamawa States during the morning hours in the northern region.

It anticipated thunderstorms over parts of Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Adamawa and Taraba States later in the day.

NiMet envisaged intermittent rains over parts of Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Cross River, Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States later in the day.

The agency predicted thunderstorms are over parts of Adamawa and Taraba States in the northern region during the Friday morning hours.

It envisaged thunderstorms over parts of Taraba, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Zamfara States later in the day.

According to the agency, rains are expected over parts of Nasarawa and Niger during the morning hours in the North Central region.

NiMET therefore urged residents to avoid flood-prone areas as there was a high likelihood of urban flooding in major cities due to heavy downpours.