HEAT WAVE AND ITS IMPACT IN NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF YOBE STATE, NIGERIA
Abstract
Heatwaves are significant natural disaster that is caused primarily by extreme temperatures. The extreme heat events associated with heatwaves often cause severe health complications and deaths. In view of the environmental hazards associated with heatwaves, this study investigated the impact of heatwaves in Yobe State, northeast Nigeria. Temperature and humidity data of thirty years (1991-2020) for the hot season (March-June), were obtained from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) Abuja. Time series analysis and basic statistical tools were used to analysis the data which was used to evaluate the trend of heatwaves and their impact in the study area. The results of the study showed that 2010 was extremely hot with an average maximum temperature anomaly of 2.18, while 2013 and 2015 have an average maximum temperature anomaly of 1.93 respectively, and were very hot. The trend in the average maximum temperature anomaly of the study area showed a continuous increase in extreme heat for about a decade (2009-2020). The positive temperature trend and the average maximum temperature anomaly showed that the intensity of heatwaves in the study area will increase in the future as a result of global warming caused by the continuous emission of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. The results also showed that the heatwaves were exacerbated by the drought which occurred between 2010 and 2014. The annual heat index which range from 29.4oC - 34oC in the study area showed that the heatwaves have impacted both human and animals negatively in the area.
References
Abdullahi, H. G. (2018). Drought and drought mitigation in Yobe State, Nigeria. Unpublished Doctoral thesis, University of Wolverhanpton.
Aditya, K. D., Preet, L., Pankaj, K., Amit, K. & Anton Y, D. (2021). Present and future projections of heatwave hazard-risk over India: A regional earth system model assessment. J. Environ Res. Vol. 201. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.111573).
Agada, L. E., Malgwi, D. I. & Abbas, B. K. (2011). Harmattan dust and its effects in Semi-Arid Zone, A Case Study of Maiduguri Metropolis and Its Environs. Techno. Science Africana Journal. 6(1), 19-25.
Basu, R. (2015). Disorders Related to Heat Waves. In Climate Change and Public Health. Pp.87-104. Oxford University Press. Incorporated.
BBC News Africa (2002, June, 11). Deadly heatwaves rocks Nigeria. https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2038164.stm. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
Bell, M. A., Giannini, E., Grover, M., Hopp, B. & Lyon, A. S. (2003). “Climate Impacts†(http://iri.columbia.edu/c/limate/cid/Sep2003/impacts.html). IRI Climate Digest. The Earth Institute. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
Easterling, D. R., Meehl, G.A., Parmesan, C., Changnon, S. A. & Karl, T. R. (2000) Climate Extremes: observations, modeling, and impacts. Science, 289: 2068–2074.
Eze, J. N. (2017). Assessment of Household Vulnerability and Adaptation to Desertification in Yobe State, Nigeria. A Thesis submitted to the School of Postgraduate Studies and the Department of Geography, Nsukka in Partial fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Nigeria.
Garcia-Herrera, R., Diaz, J., Triggo, R. M., Luterbacher, J. & Fischer, E. M. (2010). A Review of the European Summer Heat Wave of 2003. Critical Review in Environmental Science and Technology. 40(4), 267-306.
Griffin, D.R., Hubbard, R. & Wald, G. (1947). Sensitivity of the Human Eye to Infra-Red Radiation. Journal of the Optical Society of America. 37 (7): 546–553
Haider, H. (2019). Climate Change in Nigeria; Impacts and responses. K4D Helpdesk Report 675. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies.
Haider, K. & Anis, K. (24 June 2015). “Heat wave death toll rises to 2,000 in Pakistan’s Financial Hub†(http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-24/heat-wave-death-toll-rises-to- 200- in Pakistan-s-financial-hub). Bloomberg news. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
Hassan, S.F, EL-Tantawi, A.M. & Hashida, U.S. (2017). Trends of rainfall and temperature over northeastern Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology. 11(5), 1- 9.
Heat Index (http:// www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/global/hi.html) US National Weather Service.
Kehinde, O.M., Bulama, L., & Ahmad, U.A. (2021). Changing Patterns of Temperature in Yobe State, Northeastern Nigeria: An Evidence of Climate Change. Asian Journal of Geographical Research. 4(1), pp. 52-72.
Larsen, J. (2003). Record heat wave in Europe takes 35,000 lives. Earth Policy Institute.
Marck, F. (2015). Calculation of the standard temperature index. https:// www.rdrr.io/cran/STI/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 2021. Earth’s warming trend continued in 2019, making it the second-hottest year in NOAA’s 140-year climate record just behind 2016. https://www.noaa.gov/news/2019-was-2nd-hottest-year-on-record-for-earth-say-noaa-nasa
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2021. Heat stress datasets and documentation. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/societal impacts/heat-stress/data.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “What is a Heat Wave?†(http://scijinks.jpi.nasa.gov/heat/). Retrieved 5 December, 2020.
National Oceanic and Administration/climate Prediction Center (2020) http://drought.unl.edu/Home.aspx accessed 20 December 2021.
Nigerian Meteorological Agency (2021). http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Potiskum-weather-Averages/Yobe/ng.aspx.
Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (2021). State of the Climate in Nigeria. Publication of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, National Weather Forecasting and Climate Research Center, Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. 1-46.
Olagunju, T.E. (2015). Drought, desertification and the Nigerian environment: A review. Journal of Ecology and Natural Environment. 7(7), 196-209.
Orimoloye, I.R, Mazinyo, S.P., Nel, W. & Iortyom, E.T. (2017). Climate Variability and Heat Stress Index have increasing Potential ill-health and Environmental impacts in the East London, South Africa. International Journal of Applied Engineering Research. 12(17), 6910-6918.
Rothfusz, L.P. (1990). The Heat Index “Equation†(https://www.weather.gov/media/bgm/ta) Retrieved December 5, 2021.
Stafoggia, M., Forastiere, F., Agostini, D., Bisanti, L., Cadu, E., Caranci, N. & Perucci, C. (2006), Vulnerability to Heat-Related Mortality; A Multicity, Population-Based, Case-Crossover Analysis. Epidemiology. 17(3), 315 – 323.
Van Loenhout, J.A., Rodriguez-Llanes, J.M. & Guha-Sapir, D. (2016). Stakeholders' Perception on National Heatwave Plans and Their Local Implementation in Belgium and the Netherlands. Int. J. Environ Res Public Health. 13(11). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27834925
Vicente-serrano, S. M., Beguria, S., Gimeno, L., Eklundh, L., Giuliani, G., Weston, D., Kenawy, A., Lopez-Moreno, J.J, Nieto, R., Ayenew, T., & Konte, D. (2012). Challenges for drought mitigation in Africa: The potential use of geospatial data and drought information systems. Applied Geography, 34, 471-486.
World Health Organization (2021). Information and public heat advice: heat and health, outline. https://www.who.intl/globalchange/publications/heat-and-health/en/. Accessed January 15, 2021.
Wolf, K. (2009). Air temperature and the occurrence of myocardial infection in Augsburg. Circulation, 120 (9), 735-742.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. (2016). 2015 disasters in number. Retrieved from https://www.unisdr.org/files/47804_2015disastertrendsinfographic.pdf.
World Health organization. (2014). Quantitative risk assessment of the effects of climate change on selected causes of deaths, 2030s and 2050s. Geneva.
World Health organization. (2018). The top 10 causes of death. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death.
World Meteorological Organization &World Health Organization. (2015). Heatwaves and health: Guidance on warning-system development. Geneva. Pp.114. Retrieved from www.who.int/globalchange/publications/WMO_WHO_Heat_Health_Guidance_2015.pdf.
Copyright (c) 2022 FUDMA JOURNAL OF SCIENCES
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
FUDMA Journal of Sciences
