El Niño’s grip: Pagasa forecasts dry spell in Metro Manila, 35 provinces in December

INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila and 35 other areas may experience a dry spell in December this year due to the effects of El Niño.

Ana Liza Solis, the Chief of the Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), revealed during a press briefing that a possible dry spell could hit Metro Manila and 31 other locations, which are mainly within Luzon.

These places are Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan, Spratly Islands, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.

Four provinces in the Visayas may also experience a dry spell within the same period.

These are Antique, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Leyte.

Pagasa defines a dry spell as three consecutive months of rainfalls below the expected conditions.

It translates to a 21 to 60 percent reduction in average rainfall.

On the other hand, potential drought, or way-below-normal rainfall within three months, is expected in Camarines Norte and Southern Leyte by December, translating to a more than 60 percent reduction in average rainfall.

Meanwhile, 28 areas around the country are expected to have dry conditions by year-end.

Dry condition is defined by two consecutive months of below-normal rainfall or about  21 to 60 percent reduction from the average rainfall.

The El Niño phenomenon causes dry conditions, dry spells, and droughts.

Here are the areas which may have dry conditions:

Luzon: Abra, Batanes, Cagayan

Visayas: Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Bohol, Cebu and Siquijor

Mindanao: Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, Maguinanado, Lanao Del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

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