Generally, Africa is hot, and Nigeria has a hot climate throughout the year. The south-eastern part of Nigeria has a moderate temperature and, is unarguably, the best place to live in Nigeria and the Western Africa.
There are two main seasons in Nigeria – the dry and wet seasons.
Also, around December comes the Harmattan season.
There is a slight difference between summer and winter in the Nigerian seasons.
The wet season
- The wet season (summer) is normally from April to October
- The rainy season in Nigeria on the coast lasts seven months – from March to October.
- It has moderate rainfall of 2000-3000mm
- The wet season is roughly 6-7 months of the year.
- It has a temperature of over 17 degrees Celsius
- It marks early stage of the planting season in the country
The dry season
This is also called Sudan climate or season. The dry season in Nigeria occurs from November to March. During this time on the coast, cities like Onitsha, Lagos, Calabar, seem very hot, even at night.
In the north, the climate becomes drier, and in the centre of the country the days are sunnier, and the nights are colder. There is almost no rain in the north, and the day is hot, while the nights are even cold.
- It is found in Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, Bornu etc.
- Rainfall is between 500-1000mm per annum.
- It has a high temperature throughout the year (21 degrees Celsius – 45 degrees Celsius )
- There is a long period of little or no rainfall (i.e. dry season of 4-8 months)
The short dry season
The short dry season is significant because it occurs in the middle of the rainy season.
- The rainiest place in the country is in Anambra state, where the rainfalls pour until November.
- There is a small dry break in August in the southeast.