Hazy and cold Harmattan wind in Kano State, North-West Nigeria is biting as residents remain indoors most parts of the morning hours.
The temperature in the city is hovering between eight and eleven degrees Celsius with most of the residents only leaving their houses around noon when it was time for the Friday prayers.
Those who spoke to AIT say they resorted to drinking hot tea to fight the biting cold.
Meanwhile, hot tea sellers popularly known as mai shai are recording sales and the opposite is the case for cold beverage sellers. The second hand clothes market is also booming with sales for traders who are happy though the cold is taking its toll on them.
In Jos, the Plateau State capital, residents are reminded of the need to take precautionary measures to help cushion the effects of the harmattan that has seen temperatures drop to less than 10 degrees Celsius.
Healthcare providers warn that people must apply caution to avoid spontaneous nosebleeds for some people, dryness of the skin, eyes and respiratory system including aggravation of asthma.
AIT observed that many residents have kept themselves indoors while those brave enough to go out have adopted strange fashion styles to keep warm.
The harmattan is a season in the West African sub-region that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterised by cold, dry dust, laden wind and wide fluctuations in the ambient temperatures of the day and night.
Weather forecast shows that the low temperatures will persist for some time.
