Weather
Most of the semi-tropical rain forest region in the southern part of Nigeria shares similar climate conditions, though the south is usually milder than in the north. In this tropical south, there are two clear seasons: wet and dry.
The rainy season lasts approximately from April till October and is accompanied by heavy humidity and strong rain falls. The southwestern winds bring heat and humidity in the nights, and moderately hot but still humid weather during the day. Heaviest rainfall occurs between June and July, with around 360 mm in July. The rain is mostly preceded by strong winds and skies full with lightning. When it rains, it quickly overfills drainage and makes soft rural roads almost inaccessible by car, forget to go by heavier transport. In the absence of rain, weather is clear and cool, around 30 degrees; during the day and 22 Celsius in the night, however humidity prevails. The annual rainfall in Enugu State is between 1.5 and 2 metres.
Annual Temperature and Rainfall
The dry season is usually hotter than the rainy period and lasts between November and April. The lowest rainfall of about 16 mm is normal in February. This period is also characterised by the dry and dusty harmattan winds in January and February. These northeastern winds come often in spells that last from a few days to more than a week. Nights become chilly and temperatures may even drop below the 20 degrees Celsius, coming back to an average 32° during the day with occasional peaks above the 36° Celsius during the day. The hot harmattan winds evaporate body moisture quickly and give a sensation of coolness to the skin. It is these Sahara winds that carry large amounts of dust to the state, leaving a thick fog in the morning and a hazy sky for the rest of the day behind. Houses, buildings and cars are daily covered with a layer of fine brownish sand, even people fall victim. At the end of the day, after washing off the sand from your face, you should not be surprised to turn your towel into brown-orange cloth.
Obviously, the end of the dry season is welcomed by many people. There is a saying in Igboland that rain flushes all sicknesses away. That is debatable, but it definitely deals with the dust.
Conversation: How is the weather?
♬ Click here to listen to this conversation.
| - Olee maka üböchï taa? | How is the weather today? |
| - Üböchï taa dï mma. | Today's weather is fine. |
| Ugbua bü oge ügürü. | Now it is harmattan period. |
| Mmiri anaghï ezo. | Rain is not falling. |
| Ö na-adï ökü na oge ehihie, | It is hot in the day, |
| ma na-adï oyi na abalï. | and is cold in the night. |
| Ana-ewe nnuku ikuke. | There is a lot of wind. |
| - Oge özö, ga-bü udu mmiri. | Next period, it is rainy season. |
| Nnuku mmiri ga-ezo. | A lot of rain will fall. |
| Ana-ewe nnuku urukpu. | There will be many clouds. |
| I kwesiri iweta nche anwü. | You need to bring an umbrella. |
| - E mesïa, aga-ewe ököchï. | Then, it will be the dry season. |
| Anwü ga-dï, ma ö ga-dï ökü. | There will be sun and it will be hot. |
| - Olee maka üböchï echi? | What about tomorrow's weather? |
| - Echi, ö ga-dï anwü ma bürükwa nnukwu üböchï. | Tomorrow, there will be sun and it will be a great day. |
Vocabulary
| mmiri-ozuzo | rain |
| anyanwü | sun |
| önwa | moon |
| urukpu | cloud |
| egbe igwe | thunder |
|
| ökü | hot |
| oyi | cold |
| echi | tomorrow |
| ugbua | now |
| |
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Grammar: Personal Pronouns
| Separable | Inseparable |
| mü, m | I, me, my | (verb) + m | I |
| gï | you , your | i, ï | you |
| ya | he, his, him, she, her, it, its | o, ö | he/she/it |
| anyï | we, us, our | |
| unu | you, your (pl.) | |
| ha | they, them, their | |
The pronouns in Igbo language have two forms: separable and inseparable. The inseparable forms only apply to the singular pronouns and are found as the single subject in direct combination with the main verbs of a sentence, as in
| bi | live (verb stem) |
| ebi m | I live |
| i bi | you live |
| o bi | he/she lives |
Note that for the first person singular, the m follows the verb stem.
Separable pronouns are not confined to its sole purpose as a subject with a verb and can be used as a subject, direct and indirect object, for example:
| buru | carry (verb stem) |
| anyï buru gï | we carry you |
| unu buru mü | you carry me |
| mü na gï buru ya | me and you carry him |
They can also follow a noun in possessive relationship:
| di | husband | di m | my husband |
| di gï | your husband |
| di ya | her husband |
| nwa | child | nwa m | my child |
| nwa anyï | our child |