EFFECTS OF EL-NINO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO) ON RAINFALL CHARACTERISTICS IN MAIDUGURI NIGERIA

Rainfall characteristics during ENSO were investigated. The annual amount, onset date, termination date and duration of the rainy season, the number of wet and dry days, August rain characteristics were compared between the ENSO years, la-Nina years and normal years over a period of 31 years (1972-2002).In ENSO years he rainfall amount is lower than the long term mean, onset is late and the termination of the rainy season is earlier than the normal years. Duration is shorter. August rainfall is lower in ENSO years. Generally, ENSO years particularly 1972/73 and 1982/83 coincided with drought years in the area. Since there is some empirical relationship between ENSO and rainfall in Maiduguri it would be possible to predict extreme rainfall events like drought if the periodicity of ENSO can be understood