Climate
The Metropolitan area has a relatively dry climate, with two seasons. The rainy season lasts from May to October, peaking in August. It is characterized by inaccessibility of some parts of the Metropolis due to bad roads. This period is also associated with lean or food insecurity (June to early August). Typically, the dry season lasts from late October to early May. The dry season is defined by high sunshine from March to May and low temperatures from the dry North-East trade winds (the Harmattan) from November to February. The harmattan winds significantly impact the city's temperatures, which can range from 14°C at night to 40°C during the day. The extremely low humidity lessens the impact of the heat during hot sunny days during the day. The wet season is marked by high humidity, limited sunshine, and strong thunderstorms. The average annual rainfall is about 1100 mm. The average yearly day sunshine is roughly 7.5 hours, and the average day temperature ranges from 33˚ to 39˚C. The average nighttime temperature ranges from 20˚ to 22˚C. The warmest days come toward the end of the dry season. Farming activities noted for the dry season are: harvesting of rice, cassava, yam, drying of foodstuffs, preparation of farmlands and raising of yam mounds. This season is also noted for hunting and burning of bushes for game. Most fire disasters occur during this period.