Assessment of the Impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Events on Rainfall Amount in South-Western Nigeria

 

Nze-Esiaga Nnawuike

 

 

Full Length Research Paper I Published August,2016

 

Journal of Physical Science and Environmental Studies Vol. 2 (2), pp. 23-29

ABSTRACT

The need to have a quantitative means of predicting rainfall depth is essential and inevitable for the purposes of planning and policy formulation, as weather varies significantly from one year to another. The different phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (El Niño, La Niña and Neutral phase) affect rainfall patterns in different parts of the world in various ways. Hence a better understanding of the impact of these weather phenomena on rainfall amount over a region would improve the quality of rainfall prediction in that region. This study examined the relationship between these weather events and the rainfall amount in South-Western Nigeria. Monthly rainfall data from six meteorological stations in South-Western Nigeria over the period 1985 to 2014 (30 years) were analysed in relation to three El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phases. The analysis showed that the ENSO events have no significant relationship with rainfall amount in all the stations of the region, over the period considered. Therefore, based on this study, the use of ENSO phases can be said to be an inadequate tool for rainfall amount prediction over this region.

Key words: Rainfall amount, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), El Niño, La Niña and Neutral phase and South-Western Nigeria.

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