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Question

Difficulty: MediumClimate and Climatic Regions of Nigeria

Arrange the following Nigerian towns in order of decreasing duration of the rainy season, starting from the town with the longest wet season to the town with the shortest wet season.

  1. 1Calabar
  2. 2Enugu
  3. 3Kaduna
  4. 4Maiduguri

Answer

The correct sequence from longest to shortest rainy season duration is Calabar, followed by Enugu, then Kaduna, and finally Maiduguri.
The duration of the wet season in Nigeria depends primarily on latitude and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, as moisture is brought by the maritime Tropical (mT) air mass. Coastal Calabar in the south receives the longest rainy period (9–10 months), followed by sub-coastal Enugu (7–8 months), interior Kaduna (5–6 months), and far northern Maiduguri in the Sahel zone (3–4 months).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the latitudinal movement of the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity (ITD) across Nigeria.
The rain-bearing maritime Tropical (mT) air mass moves northward behind the advancing ITD from south to north, and retreats southward from north to south.
Duration of the rainy season in Nigeria decreases progressively from the southern coast to the far northern interior.
2
Determine the relative geographic locations and climatic belts of each town.
Calabar is coastal (South), Enugu is southern interior, Kaduna is northern middle-latitude (Sudan belt), and Maiduguri is far northeast (Sahel belt).
Latitudinal positioning directly correlates with annual rainfall duration.
3
Sequence the towns from highest annual rainy season duration to lowest.
Calabar (9–10 months) > Enugu (7–8 months) > Kaduna (5–6 months) > Maiduguri (3–4 months).
Southern coastal areas stay under the influence of moisture-bearing winds longest, while northern continental fringes receive brief seasonal rainfall.

Key Concept

Rainfall gradient and seasonality driven by ITD movement across Nigeria
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Climate and Climatic Regions of Nigeria

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