INFLUENCE OF BROADCAST METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION ON PUBLIC ATTITUDE TOWARDS WEATHER EARLY WARNINGS IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Climate-induced extreme weather events have increased across the globe leading to loss of lives and property in the last two decades. This has compelled government, individuals and communities to seek ways of cushioning the effects of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and windstorms. Consequently, the broadcast media in Benue state took up the responsibility of disseminating accurate science-based weather early warnings to the public to enhance early preparedness and adoption of preventive measures. Yet, public vulnerability to extreme weather events still persists in Benue state. This study, examines the extent of public exposure to broadcast weather early warnings, and the influence and effectiveness of broadcast meteorological information on public attitude towards weather early warnings in Benue state. Survey was adopted as the study’s design. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. Data generated were presented using tables, simple percentages, and weighted mean. Results indicate that residents of Benue state were highly exposed to weather early warning messages. Findings further reveal that broadcast meteorological information had limited influence on public attitude towards weather early warnings in Benue state. Results also indicate that broadcast meteorological information was not effective in changing public attitudes towards compliance with weather early warnings in Benue state. The study recommends that broadcast meteorological warnings should be designed to calibrate with the needs, and psychological disposition of their audience to achieve compliance.