MANILA, Philippines?Some respite from the oppressive hot and humid weather may take a little bit longer, as the rains are expected to come in the middle of next month or even later.
?The onset of the rainy season will start in the middle of June, but it might still not happen because we still haven?t seen anything that would trigger the onset of the rains,? Dr. Prisco Nilo, head of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Sunday.
What stir up the southwest monsoon that brings the rains are low-pressure areas or typhoons, Nilo said.
Last week, a weather forecaster said rains would probably start pouring during the first week of June.
Nilo said the scorching heat the country experienced last week, with the mercury rising to 39 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country, would likely continue toward the end of this month.
Increased humidity
He said the increase in humidity last week made the hot weather even more oppressive. PAGASA recorded a maximum humidity of 83 percent Sunday morning.
Nilo said a 50-percent humidity was tolerable. ?Beyond that, masakit na sa balat at maalinsangan (it stings the skin and is sticky),? he said.
The good news for Metro Manila is that on Sunday, the mercury dipped slightly lower.
PAGASA?s Science Garden in Quezon City recorded a maximum temperature of 36 degrees Celsius at 1:50 p.m. compared with the 37 degrees the metropolis experienced the past few days.
However, it remained scorching hot in Tuguegarao, Cagayan, which recorded 38 degrees at about the same time.
PAGASA?s website showed that on Monday, Metro Manila?s temperature is expected to be between 27 and 37 degrees, while it would be 25 to 36 degrees in Tuguegarao, Laoag, Olongapo, Angeles, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Tacloban and Cagayan de Oro cities.
Metro Davao and Zamboanga City will have a slightly cooler weather with temperatures between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius.
Vacationers may enjoy a relatively cold weather in Baguio City with temperature expected between 18 and 25 degrees.
La Niña task force
Albay?s provincial government has activated a La Niña Task Force to put in place disaster risk-reduction measures against flooding, lahar and landslides, and to ensure Gov. Joey Salceda?s zero-casualty advocacy.
La Niña is characterized by higher than usual rainfall and is usually preceded by El Niño.
In an executive order issued on Friday, Salceda said a weather bureau advisory projected the current El Niño to dissipate by June and to be replaced by La Niña in the third quarter.
?This would coincide with the onset of the rainy season associated with the southwest monsoon,? he said.
The task force will coordinate planning and implement measures by local government units, national government agencies and nongovernment organizations.
Initial budget
Salceda said P5 million had been allocated for the operation of the task force.
The Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, as the task force secretariat, will implement a two-step social preparation involving the training of barangay (village) officials on community-based warning and evacuation.
In Iloilo City, a nongovernment organization focusing on disaster preparedness urged communities to prepare early for heavy rains and floods.
Lourdes Louella Escandor, executive director of the nongovernment Citizens? Disaster Response Center Inc. (CDRC), said residents in disaster-prone communities would be trained to prepare early for possible flooding and disasters with the onset of La Niña.
Escandor was in Iloilo on Saturday to launch a program on emergency preparedness and mitigation.
She told the Inquirer that the recent floods in the country due to intense storms and continuous rains highlighted the importance of community disaster preparedness.
?The government?s emergency response agencies were caught flat-footed in many instances and this highlights the importance of preparedness at the community level,? Escandor said.
