200 people have died and almost 200,000 displaced following weeks of torrential rains in several Nigerian states, according to the country’s National Emergency Management Agency.

“In some communities, people are trapped and we are trying to make arrangements to evacuate them,” said Brandon Walson, the agency’s incident coordinator in Anambra and Delta states.

Five emergency operation centres have been created to coordinate search and rescue operations while also providing help for those displaced.

There has also been extensive damage to farmlands, according ACAPS, a humanitarian data-analysis organisation.

The floods in Nigeria have affected over 820,000 people. A CNN reader shared this clip of Coscharis Farms in Anaku Town, Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria – showing the severity of the floods. pic.twitter.com/pIH9JU6YXr

— CNN Africa (@CNNAfrica) September 27, 2018

Nigeria suffers from flooding almost annually during its rainy season, which lasts from July to September, but this year’s situation has been the worst on record.

“Floods have become a perennial challenge with increasing intensity each year, leaving colossal losses and trauma,” the Nigerian Meteorological Agency said.

Heavy rains increase the likelihood of rivers overflowing, dams bursting and flash floods occurring.

And there’s copious evidence suggesting increasing rainfall over time.

Data from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency from 1981-2017, analysing 13 affected locations, reveals a rising trend in annual rainfall, which it says is likely to be a significant factor responsible for floods.

SOLAR VARIABILITY AND WEATHER

Research shows blocking persistence increases when solar activity is low, causing weather patterns to become locked in place at high and intermediate latitudes for prolonged periods of time.

During a solar minimum, the jet stream’s usual Zonal Flow (a west–east direction) reverts to more of a Meridional Flow (a north-south direction) — this is exaggerated further during a GSM, and explains why regions become unseasonably hot or cold and others unusually dry or rainy, with the extremes lasting for an extended period of time.

It is estimated that flooding and drought regimes will become far more frequent as we descend into this next Grand Solar Minimum.

And the evidence is mounting:

NORTHERN INDIA RECEIVES 454% MORE RAIN THAN NORMAL — DELAYS MONSOON’S RETREAT

KHUZDAR DROUGHT: CITY OF FORESTS TURNED DESERT WASTELAND

FIJI DROUGHT: FARMERS REPORT DRASTICALLY REDUCED HARVESTS

CENTRAL AMERICA: TWO MILLION RISK STARVATION AFTER “CLIMATE SHIFT”

AUSTRALIA: “NOW WE ARE THE LAND OF DROUGHTS AND FLOODING RAINS”

SOUTHERN PAKISTAN: SECOND SEVERE DROUGHT ALERT ISSUED

GSM

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