ABUJA, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian authorities on Wednesday issued a flood alert for 14 of the country's 36 states, warning of a medium flood risk as the rainy season intensifies.
In an advisory, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) said the affected states could face a medium flood risk between Wednesday and next Monday.
According to the agency, the states likely to be affected are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos, Niger and Plateau.
The NIHSA warned of localized flooding along major river channels and identified 16 monitoring stations as high-risk locations. It said several local government areas and communities, including schools, health facilities and markets, could be affected if precautionary measures are not taken.
Among the areas identified as particularly vulnerable are Saminaka along the Karam River, the Waya Dam site on the Waya River, and Amber on the Amber River.
The agency said the advisory is intended to support disaster preparedness, emergency response planning and flood risk reduction efforts by governments and relevant agencies.
It urged residents in flood-prone communities to relocate to safer areas, clear drainage channels and avoid crossing flooded roads.
Nigeria experiences severe flooding almost every rainy season. The rainy season typically lasts about six months, beginning in March and intensifying from mid-May, particularly in the northern part of the country.
Local experts said climate change has contributed to increasingly erratic and intense rainfall, overwhelming drainage infrastructure and reducing the land's capacity to absorb water in many parts of Africa's most populous country.
