The climate of Nigeria is more of hot or warm weather considering the average weather condition of the country.
Climate in Nigeria is majorly categorised into three (3) which consists of:
- Rainy season
- Dry Season
- Harmattan Season
All round the year the weather conditions in Nigeria varies and each seasons comes with unique weather conditions and characteristics.
Meteorologists in Nigeria every year tries to give accurate forecast and predict the likely weather conditions to be witnessed in Nigeria country.
However, certain seasons has become constant in Nigeria and by extension became the major climate conditions in Nigeria.
While the above listed climate in Nigeria is witnessed across all parts of Nigeria during the year, slightly differences can occur in different parts or regions in Nigeria.
Generally, all parts of Nigeria is warm all round the year,but the northern Nigeria tends to experience more harsh hot weather all yearlong.
Having a good knowledge of Nigeria’s whether and seasons is helpful in planing events such as tourist visits , events etc.
In this article, we will review different weather seasons in Nigeria and their features.
This will give an insight to visitors on the type of weather to be experienced in different parts of Nigeria at different times of the year.
Different Weather Seasons in Nigeria
Below is different weather seasons that exists in Nigeria and the characteristics of these Nigeria’s climate.
Wet (Rainy) Season
The wet or rainy season in Nigeria is one of the longest weather conditions in Nigeria.
The period of rainy or wet season in Nigeria runs between April to November.
As mentioned earlier, there is usually slight difference in the climate of Nigeria across different regions and parts of the country.
While rainy or wet season is the longest weather season in most part of southern Nigeria, in the far north, it is less.
These far north are in sahel and experience very little rain fall and hot weather.
Rainy season in Nigeria is on average of 8 months which starts from April to November.
Wet or rainy season in Nigeria is characterized by contant showers both heavy and light showers.
It is also characterised by cold weather and cloudy storms. It is the planting season in most parts of Nigeria.
It is also important to know that changes in climate can also affects how fast the season can come or how long it will last.
The rainy season in Nigeria is similar to the time of summer in Europe and North America.
Dry Season
Dry season is the second longest weather conditions in Nigeria.
Interestingly, dry season is second longest season in most states in southern Nigeria but the longest season in far north.
Dry season in Nigeria starts from November to March. Dry season in Nigeria is characterized by very little or no rain falls.
It also comes with hot and warmth weather and dryness. During this period, the average temperature during the day can hit 100⁰F and down to 54⁰F at night.
It is during the dry season in Nigeria that harmattan season also manifests.
Harmattan Season
Harmattan season in Nigeria starts from December to February.
It is one of the major climates in Nigeria that is experienced during the year.
Harmattan is similar to winter as experienced in Europe. Harmattan season in Nigeria is characterized by severe cold and cool weather. Harmattan season also comes with dusty fogs and dry skin.
It is during the period of the year in Nigeria when there is absolutely no rain falls.
States like Jos,Kaduna during harmattan is very cold that residents resort to heavy jackets and caps.
These are the major seasons and climate experienced in Nigeria.