2015 RAINS HAS NOT STARTED IN NIGERIA
BY ABDULMUMINI ADEKU
EUROPE IS FREEZING COLD PRESENTLY 
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency [NIMET]has declared that
the rains for 2015 has not even started at all in Nigeria.
In an exclusive interview with Paedia Express Multimedia in
Lagos,Nigeria,The General Manager ,Investigations ,Mr Andrew Oniarah said that
the rains currently falling was the remainder of 2014 season.
He explained that climatic variability was responsible for
this and warned that if any farmer makes
the mistakes of going to plant his crops now his seedlings will simply burn off
on the fields.
His words:”The issue of rainmakers are debatable as it is
outside orthodox dimension ,it may be possible”
He assured that as
the patterns of rains continues to change ,NIMET will look for ways to
continue to support all publics in the areas of information dissemination.
He added that the rains were usually heavy in places like
Port Harcourt,Calabar and Eket ,with the three places listed as recording more
volumes of rains than anywhere in Nigeria by NIMET.
Conditions across Europe are
very good with fresh and dry snow across much of the Alps, Pyrenees and Eastern
Europe. Scandinavian resorts also remain in good shape.
Resorts in North America are
experiencing one of two extremes – bitter cold and heavy snowfall in the north
east, or a snow drought in the likes of California and British Columbia, Canada.
France
There are superb conditions in France right now with all the resorts of the Alps and Pyrenees offering deep, dry snow cover. And what's more is the forecast is predicting further heavy snowfall over the next five days.
There are superb conditions in France right now with all the resorts of the Alps and Pyrenees offering deep, dry snow cover. And what's more is the forecast is predicting further heavy snowfall over the next five days.
Two resorts making headlines are Avoriaz, where lower slopes
hold a huge consolidated snow base of 180cm while upper slopes have almost
three metres – another 90cm of snowfall is expected next week – and Cauterets
in the Pyrenees, which has almost four metres of snow cover on its upper
slopes. The only problem the resort's snow drifts have closed the access road.
Austria
Beautiful ski days have been on offer in Austria recently with plenty of sunshine and ample snow depths. St Anton in the Tirol is offering some of the best skiing in the country with 215cm of snow base on upper slopes, which reach 2,800m. These pistes boast groomed powder, while off piste opportunities are good too, subject to local avalanche warnings.
Beautiful ski days have been on offer in Austria recently with plenty of sunshine and ample snow depths. St Anton in the Tirol is offering some of the best skiing in the country with 215cm of snow base on upper slopes, which reach 2,800m. These pistes boast groomed powder, while off piste opportunities are good too, subject to local avalanche warnings.
However, next week the avalanche
risk will increase here as 75cm of powder snow is expected over the next five
days. Temperatures will remain cool with the average high at resort level
hovering around freezing.
Switzerland
There is really high quality winter sport on offer in Switzerland right now with all resorts in great condition and piste skiing typically on groomed powder. Snow depths everywhere are good and things are about to get even better as many of the Swiss ski area have heavy snowfall in the forecast.
There is really high quality winter sport on offer in Switzerland right now with all resorts in great condition and piste skiing typically on groomed powder. Snow depths everywhere are good and things are about to get even better as many of the Swiss ski area have heavy snowfall in the forecast.
Zermatt, for example, has
70cm of powder in the forecast, so we can expect really fantastic skiing here
as upper slopes already hold almost three metres of snow base. Temperatures in
the resort are also going to remain reassuringly cool with the average daytime
high only -7°C.
Italy
There is now a stark contrast between conditions in the east and west of the Italian Alps. In the east the Dolomites are offering good conditions at all elevations, typically on packed powder. In the west, especially in the resorts of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, the skiing is absolutely fantastic, with very impressive snow depths and powder and groomed powder on offer.
There is now a stark contrast between conditions in the east and west of the Italian Alps. In the east the Dolomites are offering good conditions at all elevations, typically on packed powder. In the west, especially in the resorts of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, the skiing is absolutely fantastic, with very impressive snow depths and powder and groomed powder on offer.
Cortina, in the east, has
skiing to an elevation of 3,250m and upper slopes holding 150cm of snow base.
Next week skiing here will be good, with temperatures cool enough to preserve
the dry snow cover. Some light snowfall is forecast. Cervinia, by the
Matterhorn, has more than three metres of snow on upper pistes and next week
could be epic with another 80cm in the forecast.
Canada
Unusually for the country, the east continues to out-perform the west, with resorts such as Tremblant in Quebec offering more powder opportunities than Whistler in British Columbia. This is all down to the exceptional flow of cold air that has continued to stream over the east of Canada, and next week the pattern looks set to continue.
Unusually for the country, the east continues to out-perform the west, with resorts such as Tremblant in Quebec offering more powder opportunities than Whistler in British Columbia. This is all down to the exceptional flow of cold air that has continued to stream over the east of Canada, and next week the pattern looks set to continue.
Tremblant, now holding a snow base
of 130cm on upper pistes, has 20cm of powder forecast and average highs of -9°C
at base elevation. Whistler has no snowfall in its five day forecast and base
temperatures will hover around 1°C. However, there remains good skiing on offer
for all abilities on Whistler's trails above mid-mountain.
USA
The conditions in the north east continue to raise eyebrows as very cold air streams over the region for yet another week. All the resorts of New England are seeing the benefit and offering very dry and very powdery conditions at all elevations. Stowe in Vermont now has 180cm of snow base on upper slopes and 30cm of fresh snow in the forecast for next week.
The conditions in the north east continue to raise eyebrows as very cold air streams over the region for yet another week. All the resorts of New England are seeing the benefit and offering very dry and very powdery conditions at all elevations. Stowe in Vermont now has 180cm of snow base on upper slopes and 30cm of fresh snow in the forecast for next week.
Stowe has skiing up to an elevation
of 1,340m while in Colorado the highest skiing at Arapahoe Basin reaches almost
4,000m but snow depths are still only at 120cm, highlighting the differing snow
volumes in different parts of the US.
Mammoth in California is also a
victim of extreme weather this season with a snow drought continuing. Elsewhere
great skiing is reported in Utah and Wyoming and Colorado has heavy snowfall in
the forecast.
Andorra
The Pyrenees is experiencing exceptional conditions with more than a metre of snowfall in recent days in many areas. Andorra now has so much snow that resort access roads have been closed by drifting at Arcalis, Arinsal and Pas de la Casa. Across the Vallnord domain snow depths range from 160cm base on lower slopes to 250cm depth on upper pistes that rise to 2950m.
The Pyrenees is experiencing exceptional conditions with more than a metre of snowfall in recent days in many areas. Andorra now has so much snow that resort access roads have been closed by drifting at Arcalis, Arinsal and Pas de la Casa. Across the Vallnord domain snow depths range from 160cm base on lower slopes to 250cm depth on upper pistes that rise to 2950m.
The situation and snow depths are
almost the same across the all the resorts of the Grandvalira. Next week the
weather will be quieter, just 20cm of snow forecast but temperatures will
remain low enough to preserve great snow conditions.
Eastern Europe
Bansko, Bulgaria, can boast its best skiing of the winter so far with snow depths a very impressive, 220cm on upper pistes. All the Bulgarian resorts are offering excellent conditions and the entire Eastern European ski region is having a winter characterised by mostly sub-zero temperatures and fairly regular dumps of snow.
Bansko, Bulgaria, can boast its best skiing of the winter so far with snow depths a very impressive, 220cm on upper pistes. All the Bulgarian resorts are offering excellent conditions and the entire Eastern European ski region is having a winter characterised by mostly sub-zero temperatures and fairly regular dumps of snow.
Scandinavia
There is great packed powder conditions on offer right across the region, with more snowfall and continuing low temperatures forecast for next week. In Norway, Lillehammer has 30cm of powder in the five day forecast, with upper slopes already holding 130cm of snow base and excellent skiing on offer.
There is great packed powder conditions on offer right across the region, with more snowfall and continuing low temperatures forecast for next week. In Norway, Lillehammer has 30cm of powder in the five day forecast, with upper slopes already holding 130cm of snow base and excellent skiing on offer.
Salen in Sweden has an upper
elevation of 900m, almost the same as Lillehammer, and base snow depths here
are at 80cm. Skiing is on groomed powder snow with powder off piste and those
conditions will be further enhanced as another 30cm of snow is in the forecast
for next week.
Scotland
Very high winds have been disrupting lift operations in the Highlands this week and more wild weather is in the forecast for the five Scottish ski centres. When the winds ease though there will be some good skiing on offer because there is sufficient snow cover to open all pistes at all elevations and the forecast indicates some heavy snowfall too over the next five days.
Very high winds have been disrupting lift operations in the Highlands this week and more wild weather is in the forecast for the five Scottish ski centres. When the winds ease though there will be some good skiing on offer because there is sufficient snow cover to open all pistes at all elevations and the forecast indicates some heavy snowfall too over the next five days.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING FROM TELEGRAPH
NEWSPAPERS,LONDON,UNITED KINGDOM
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