Which wind brings Harmattan in Nigeria?
The air from the desert is hotter and is undercut by the cooler winds of the southwest monsoon, blowing in from the ocean and forcing the harmattan to rise to an altitude of about 900 to 1,800 metres (about 3,000 to 6,000 feet).
What causes Harmattan in Nigeria?
The season of Harmattan, from Twi word haramata, originates from the dry and dusty harmattan trade winds which blows from the Sahara desert over West Africa. It usually comes between the end of November and the middle of March.
What causes the Harmattan wind?
The season is brought over by the northeasterly trade wind which is also named the Harmattan and it blows from the Sahara desert over West Africa and moves into the Gulf of Guinea. Depending on the local circumstances the temperature during harmattan can range from cold in most places to hot in certain regions.
What air mass is responsible for Harmattan?
One of the most prominent wind systems in Africa is the Harmattan which is a ground level stream of dry desert air that sweeps from the northeast Chad Basin to the Guinean coast tangential to Cameroon (Schwanghart and Schutt, 2008) .
Which type of wind brings about harmattan?
northeasterly trade wind
The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into the Gulf of Guinea.
What does the North east wind bring to Nigeria?
From September through November, the northeast trade winds generally bring a season of clear skies, moderate temperatures, and lower humidity for most of the country. From December through February, however, the northeast trade winds blow strongly and often bring with them a load of fine dust from the Sahara.
Where is harmattan wind from?
The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into the Gulf of Guinea.
What does the North East wind bring to Nigeria?
What is harmattan season in Nigeria?
The season of harmattan is a period many Nigerians anticipate from November ending to mid-March. It is characterised by a cool dry wind that blows from the northeast or east in the western Sahara.
How cold is harmattan in Nigeria?
Temperatures can easily be as low as 9 °C (48 °F) all day, but sometimes in the afternoon the temperature can also soar to as high as 30 °C (86 °F), while the relative humidity drops under 5%.
What is northeast trade winds?
The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere, strengthening during the winter and when the Arctic oscillation is in its warm phase. Trade winds have been used by captains of sailing ships to cross the world’s oceans for centuries.
What is southeast trade winds?
The southeast trade winds maintain the South Equatorial Current, which flows toward the west where it divides into two branches: one that continues to the Northern Hemisphere and enters the Caribbean—together with a small amount of water from the North Equatorial Current—as the Guiana (Guyana) Current…
What is the harmattan wind?
^ Geographical Review (1919): “Knox writes of this wind : The Harmattan is experienced as a wind which blows, especially in the months of December, January, and February, from the NE. and is a hot wind in some localities and a cold wind in others, according to circumstances.” ^ a b Minka, Ndazo Salka; Ayo, Joseph (2014).
Where is the coldest place in Nigeria during Harmattan?
Sokoto is one of the hottest states during the dry season, but the story suddenly changes as harmattan could cause its temperature to be as low as 19°C. Taraba state has one of the most coldest area in the whole of the country. This is Gembu town, and the temperature in harmattan season could go as low as 7°C.
Why does the harmattan haze affect Ghana?
Harmattan haze over Ho, Ghana The air is particularly dry and desiccating when the Harmattan blows over the region. The Harmattan brings desert-like weather conditions: it lowers the humidity, dissipates cloud cover, prevents rainfall formation and sometimes creates big clouds of dust which can result in dust storms or sandstorms.
What is the weather like in Abuja during harmattan season?
The capital city of Nigeria, Abuja is not exempted from the interlude of dusty and coldness of the harmattan season. The weather temperature of Abuja during the harmattan season is always around 22°C, but could go much lower in some days. Abuja is an elevated land area in the country.