Some parts of the nation’s capital Abuja witnessed the first rain in 2024 in the early morning of Thursday.
The light rain started half hour into the new day, about 12.30a.m., and lasted 25 minutes and stopped at 12.55a.m.
The rain was devoid of lightning, heavy winds, but thunderstorms fell at Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, Garki in the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Dutse, Zuba, Bwari, Gwagwalada and Mararaba experienced rainfall.
Residents of the area expressed mixed feelings over the rain.
A resident of Kubwa, Anna Jonah, said the unexpected rain brought a temporary succour from the heat wave experienced in the past few days.
She however expressed worry that because the rain was light, a delay in another rain might intensify the heat.
“Before the rain started, I lay on tiled-floor in my room to get some relief from the heat and I had also taken a cold bath twice because of sweating. However, after the rain, I moved to the bed with my husband and we had a sound sleep, because of the mild coldness that accompanied it. The concern is that a light rain like this might increase the heat in the coming days, especially as NiMet recently predicted a delay in rain in the North-Central states,” she said.
A resident of Garki, Lawal Sale, said the rain was a bit heavy in the area and dust-infested cars parked by occupants of his quarter were washed off by the raindrops.
Sale also confirmed relief from the intense heat witnessed in the FCT in the past days.
He also feared that the relief might be short lived and advised farmers not to rush to planting because the rain might not be consistent.
A resident of Kuje said there was no rain in the area but the weather was cold compared to what they witnessed in previous days.
