Abuja, Sep 28 (IANS): Nigerian authorities have issued a fresh alert to citizens as the country faces rising water levels due to flash and river flooding.

The latest warning followed the prolonged rainfall across the most populous African country, which has so far caused devastating floods in several areas, said Umar Mohammed, head of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), in a statement obtained by Xinhua in the capital of Abuja Saturday.

Water levels in the country's two major rivers, the Benue and Niger rivers in the central part of Nigeria, and tributaries had "reached critical levels," raising concerns about potential severe flooding in communities along these riverbanks, the hydrological agency said.

It urged residents in affected areas to relocate to safer locations and take steps to secure their lives and property while stressing the importance of maintaining clear drainage systems and ensuring that water runoff paths are unobstructed. The NIHSA also called on residents to clear the gutters and drainages, which, it said, would help mitigate the impact of flooding.

In an earlier flood alert, the hydrological agency predicted that 148 local government areas across 31 states, out of Nigeria's total 36 states, were at high risk of flooding, Xinhua news agency reported.

On September 17, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said in a report that over 1,083,141 people have been impacted by the relentless rains in Nigeria, leading to widespread displacement, loss of lives, and destruction of homes and livelihoods.

The floods have left at least 285 people dead, 641,598 persons displaced, and 2,504 injured, the UNOCHA reported, adding houses, farmlands, and critical infrastructure had been devastated, with 98,242 homes affected.