… As Normalcy Returns in January
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has revealed that the weather experienced across the country in late December 2025 was statistically inconsistent with historical patterns. Instead of the dry, cool winds typical of the season, the country experienced conditions usually reserved for late February or early March.
The agency attributed this unusual disruption to specific global drivers, noting that warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic and a weakening of the Arctic Polar Vortex played significant roles. These factors weakened the Azores High—the system responsible for pushing dry Harmattan air southward—allowing moisture to penetrate inland. Consequently, the Intertropical Discontinuity (ITD), which dictates Nigeria’s wet and dry seasons, shifted unusually northward to 9.4°N between December 20 and 28, roughly 3 degrees higher than the normal position of 6–7°N.
Following this festive season marked by the atmospheric anomaly, NiMet has announced a sharp return to normalcy. In its latest update for January 2026, the agency confirmed that the atmospheric correction has begun as the high-pressure systems over the Azores and the Sahara have strengthened and returned to their normal positions.
This development supports the return of typical January Harmattan conditions, with dust haze expected to envelop the country and sweep across parts of the region within days. The agency predicted that the sweltering heat of December is expected to give way to cooler days and chilly nights, bringing much-needed relief from the recent high temperatures.
NiMet observed that while this event underscores how global climate change is increasingly impacting regional variability, the immediate forecast promises a return to seasonal norms.
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