Pagasa: Weak La Niña expected to bring a wet Christmas

Brace for a wet Christmas this December as La Niña may be coming to town.

In a statement the past week, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said a La Niña condition has been developing since September 2017, characterized by the unusually cool ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.

“Weak La Niña is likely to bring above normal rainfall in different parts of the country in the coming several months,” read the statement from Pagasa administrator Vicente Malano.

“Impacts also include slightly warmer air temperatures in varying degrees from place to place and from time to time, although the northeast monsoon may bring surges of cold temperatures over the northern and eastern parts of Luzon,” Malano said.

To add to this, Malano said the country may experience “a higher chance of strong convective activity and tropical cyclone occurrence that may bring much rainfall during the remaining portion of the year and first quarter of 2018.”

If La Niña forms, it is not expected to last beyond March 2018, the Pagasa said.

Based on Pagasa’s climate outlook and rainfall forecast report for December 2017 to March 2018, generally near to above normal rainfall conditions is expected over the entire country this December.

Two to five tropical cyclones are expected to develop in or enter the Philippine area of responsibility from December to May 2018.