Pagasa raises La Niña alert
The weather bureau on Thursday set up a La Niña Watch as it urged the government to prepare for the coming climate pattern that is the opposite of El Niño.
Where El Niño, which the country is currently experiencing, brings very hot, dry weather, La Niña is characterized by intense rainfall.
In its latest advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) said “the El Niño continues to weaken in the tropical Pacific; meanwhile the possibility of a developing La Niña is favored during the second half of 2016. With this current state, La Niña Watch is now in effect.”
Preparation
“It is better for the national government to prepare for another extreme weather event,” said Anthony Lucero, chief of Pagasa’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section, on Thursday.
“But the pressing concern at the moment is how to help the victims of El Niño who are still reeling from its effects,” he said.
Generally warmer than average air temperatures are still expected in May in many parts of the country, Pagasa said. The highest daytime temperature so far this year was the 40.1 degrees Celsius at the Isabela State University in Echague.
Below normal rainfall is expected over Luzon and the Visayas, while significant portions of Mindanao are predicted to have near-normal to above-normal rainfall conditions.
Drought
Pagasa said 37 provinces, or 46 percent of the country, would likely experience drought, or three consecutive months of way below normal rainfall conditions.
In Luzon, these are Abra, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan and Masbate.
In the Visayas, the provinces are Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor and Biliran.
In Mindanao, they are Zamboanga Sibugay, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Surigao del Norte, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
