Harmattan season is here again, and the north is the real casualty of this harsh weather. From Maiduguri, where the North-east Trade Wind that brings the dry breeze originates from, to Sokoto State, where the wind finally exits Nigeria, various climatic hazards are associated with its presence, coupled with the damage done to both humans and animals...
There is no season of the year that does not come without affecting people's live, but the negative effects of harmattan season seem to outweigh its benefits on human lives, especially those that live in the northern part of Africa.
Although it is a period that people usually feel a huge relieve from the scotching heat of the sun that accompanies the previous season, but dryness of the weather and the wind that comes with dust often override its coolness. And the resultant effect of this dryness is what makes fire outbreaks spread easily, which is why more fire incidents are often recorded during the season.
Harmattan is usually characterized by strong wind, which blows southwest from the Sahara desert into the Gulf of Guinea between October and March. The dry weather condition has various health implications to human and animals, especially affecting the skin, eyes and respiratory system.
Despite all these negative effects, studies have shown that the harmattan season is not without its health benefits to people. The low temperature associated with it is unfavourable for mosquitoes to breed, thus reducing the incidence of malaria fever.
Among the health hazards it usually poses on people is asthma and other respiratory tract infections.
According to Dr Chibuzo Nath, people with asthmatic health condition or other upper respiratory diseases are the ones that are mostly affected during this season. "Harmattan affects people with certain health conditions; it even affects people whose health is normal. But asthmatic patients are among those that are seriously affected by this season.
"One of the trigger agents in asthma is dust. So during the season, we all know that the wind is dry and it brings a lot of dust, which means that people who are suffering from asthma have recurrent and more frequent attacks during this particular period."
In addition, he said that everyone that is exposed to the harmattan wind is at the risk of contacting an eye condition called conjunctivitis, also known as Apollo. "The wind is dry and it picks up a lot of particles from the environment, which will not only affect people with asthma, but also normal people and their eyes. And if you are not the kind of person that baths two or three times in a day to wash those particles off your eyes, you stand the danger of having conjunctivitis and other related infections," he stated.
As is always the norm, November comes with weather change in different parts of the country, including Sahara areas like Katsina State which is currently experiencing the resurge of the dry wind. Presently, the state is experiencing dusty weather which is cold in the morning and partly hot in mid afternoon.
This change in weather, as should be expected, comes with some challenges, especially health implications. To this end, both the state government and the citizens are taking what could mildly be described as measures to forestall any unforeseen incident.
Although this weather change is unstable with cold and hot alternating conditions, sometimes, drastic measures are being taken by the people. Our correspondent observed that sellers of jackets and second-hand clothes like sweaters are making brisk business as people rush to purchase clothing that will keep them warm.
By Kehinde Ajobiewe, Isaiah Benjamin, Muazu Elazeh, Hussaini Jirgi, Najib Sani, Ankeli Emmanuel, Muh'd Zangina Kura and Yahya Sarki..
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