Environment

Historic England to offer virtual flights over ancient landscapes

A digital aerial archaeology tool will allow people to discover previously unknown details about local landscapes, including pre historic hill forts, Roman settlements and cold war military installations, through virtual flights over England.

The virtual map is like a “huge archaeological jigsaw puzzle,” according to Historic England, the agency that looks after the country’s historic environment.

The Aerial Archaeological Mapping Explorer contains thousands of sites identified on half a million aerial photographs covering more than half the country. Further archaeological remains have been identified using airborne laser scanning technology known as lidar (light, detection and ranging), which creates 3D images of the Earth’s surface.

“This new aerial archaeological mapping tool lets people fly virtually over England and drink in its many layers of history,” said Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England.

“It will allow everyone to explore the hidden heritage of their local places and what makes them special. We hope it will give people a springboard to further investigation, whether for research purposes or simply to satisfy curiosity.”

Every site that has been mapped has links to full online records held by Historic England. The agency is continuing to map and analyse other areas of the country not yet covered by the explorer tool.

The earliest sites date to approximately 6,000 years ago, and include long barrows, flint mines and causewayed enclosures of the early Neolithic period. The most recent sites belong to the 20th-century cold war period.

There are also bronze age round barrows,iron age hill forts, Roman camps, settlements and field systems representing several millennia of activity.

The sites include a prehistoric hill fort, evidence of medieval farming, 18th- and 19th-century coalmining and huge first world war training camps that housed up to 20,000 people at Cannock Chase in Staffordshire.

Aerial photography in the Yorkshire Dales national park reveals the remains of settlements dating back to the prehistoric period, and traces of lead mine shafts from the post-medieval era.

At Newhaven in East Sussex, second world war anti-invasion defences built along the coastline can be seen. Military installations along the south coast, East Anglia and Yorkshire include camps, airfields, anti-tank lines and anti-aircraft batteries.

The mapping allows archaeological features to be seen “not just as individual sites, but as part of complex, multi-period landscapes”, said Historic England.

The National Trust has also used lidar technology to survey the 13,500-acre Wallington Estate in Northumberland to expose features of the landscape not visible to the naked eye.

The findings will help the trust decide where to plant 75,000 British native trees over the next few months as part of its programme to tackle climate change.

The discoveries on the estate, which was given to the trust in 1941, include historic farming systems, former pleasure gardens and iron age camps. Lidar scanning also revealed former areas of woodland the trust hopes to recreate.

“This is an exciting moment in the 5,000-year history of this special estate,” said Mark Newman, the trust’s archaeological consultant. “All these discoveries will be investigated further to ensure none are impacted by the upcoming planting plans, and to preserve their archaeology for future study.”

Environment

300 environmental offenders sanctioned by Kwara Govt

About 300 environmental offenders were sanctioned on Saturday by the Kwara State Government for violating the environmental law of the state.

They were arrested and prosecuted before various mobile courts during the monthly sanitation exercise held at the weekend across the state.

The state government, however, commended residents of the state for compliance towards the successful monthly sanitation exercise held on Saturday, within and outside the state capital.

The Commissioner for Environment, Hajia Nafisat Musa-Buge, gave the commendation in Ilorin while fielding questions from journalists, at the check point, along Lagos road, immediately after the exercise.

“Let me use this medium to express our delight with an increase in the level of compliance, by the good people of Kwara State, towards the successful sanitation exercise, most especially, the metropolis. I urge you all to sustain the tempo.”

The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Abubakar Ayinla, appreciated the mobile courts Judges, monitoring and security agents, transport unions and relevant bodies, for their steadfastness in the discharge of their duties.

She implored the people, to strictly adhere to the three hours sanitation exercise, scheduled for the cleaning their residential and business environments, in order to sustain clean and safe environment, for a healthy living, according to a statement by the press secretary of the ministry, Kamaldeen Aliagan in Ilorin on Sunday.

Environment

NiMet predicts 3-day thunderstorms from Monday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has predicted thunderstorms from Monday to Wednesday across the country.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja envisaged localised thunderstorms over parts of Kebbi and Zamfara states in the northern region during the morning hours.

According to NiMet, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Zamfara, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Taraba states during the afternoon and evening hours.

In the North Central region, the agency said localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger and Kwara states during the morning hours.

It added that later in the day, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, and Plateau states.

NiMet further stated that localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, and Ondo states in the southern cities during the morning hours.

The agency anticipated localised thunderstorms over parts of Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Imo, Enugu, Ekiti, Edo, Ebonyi, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom states later in the day.

For Tuesday morning, NiMet said localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states in the northern region.

It forecast localised thunderstorms over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Borno and Gombe states later in the day.

According to NiMet, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Plateau and Nasarawa states during the morning hours.

In the afternoon and evening hours, it predicted localised thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Niger states.

In the southern cities, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Delta, Edo, and Ondo states during the morning hours.

Later in the day, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom states.

The agency predicted morning localised thunderstorms over parts of Kaduna, Zamfara, and Kebbi states in the northern region on Wednesday.

It envisaged localised thunderstorms over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, and Kano states.

In the North Central region, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa and Kogi states in the morning hours.

Later in the day, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger, the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Benue states.

Localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Cross River and Akwa Ibom states in the southern cities during the morning hours,” the agency said.

According to the agency, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Bayelsa states later in the day.

NiMet urged residents to avoid flood-prone areas as there could be a high likelihood of urban flooding in major cities due to heavy downpours and strong winds might precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur.

It urged the public to stay informed through its weather updates.

It also advised airline operators to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.

Environment

NiMet forecasts 3-day thunderstorms across Nigeria

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorms from Thursday to Saturday across Nigeria. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Wednesday in Abuja predicted thunderstorms over parts of Kebbi state on Thursday during the morning hours in the North.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

“In the North central region, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger, and Kwara states during the morning hours.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, and Benue states,” it said.

According to NiMet, in the southern region there are prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, Ondo, Edo, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Delta states during the morning hours.

It anticipated thunderstorms over parts of Enugu, Ondo, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Oyo, Edo, Ogun, Osun, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, and Delta states later in the day.

“For Saturday, in the North central region thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Taraba and Adamawa states in the morning hours.

“In the afternoon into evening hours, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Katsina. Kebbi, Zamfara, and Sokoto states.

“In the North Central region, there are prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Plateau and Niger states during the morning hours,” it said.

According to NiMet, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory later in the day.

“In the Southern region, thunderstorms are expected over part of Ondo, Ogun, Cross River, and Delta states during the morning hours.

“Progressing into the afternoon/evening hours, thunderstorms are envisaged over Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Delta, and Cross River states,” lt sad.

According to NiMet, in the northern region, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Taraba State in the morning hours of Sunday.

It forecast thunderstorms over parts of Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Taraba, and Jigawa states later in the day.

It predicted cloudy skies in the North central region with intervals of sunshine are anticipated over the region in the morning hours.

“Thunderstorms are expected over parts of Kwara, Kogi, and Benue States during the afternoon into evening hours.

“In the southern region, thunderstorms are envisaged over Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Ondo, Delta, Rivers, and Lagos states.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, and Cross River states,” it said.

The agency urged residents to avoid flood- prone area as there is high likelihood of urban flooding in major cities due to heavy downpours.

According to NiMet, strong winds may precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur, public should take adequate precaution while relevant authorities are to adhere to safety advisories issued by relevant authorities.

“Public and Airline operators are advised to get updated weather reports and forecasts from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.

“Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet.

“Visit our website www.nimet.gov,” it said. (NAN)