A number of provinces across the country may experience dry spell as El Niño looms, a weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Tuesday. “Base doon sa ating analysis ng mga forecasts natin na mga data, we have 36 na mga probinsiya, lalung-lalo na sa Luzon na magkakaroon o makakaranas ng dry spell, at 28 na probinsiya lalung-lalo naman, ang marami ay sa Mindanao ng dry condition. Sa dalawang probinsiya pala na maaaring … maaari since forecast ito, so potential pa lang siya. For drought, iyong dalawang probinsiya na iyon, that is Camarines Norte at saka iyong Southern Leyte sa Visayas (Our forecast shows 36 provinces, especially in Luzon, will experience dry spell. Twenty eight provinces, many in Mindanao, will have dry condition. The forecast also shows Camarines Norte and Southern Leyte may experience drought, but this is just a forecast so it’s still a potential),” Rusy Abastillas of PAGASA said in a public briefing. She said PAGASA may release an El Niño advisory by July. Abastillas said Metro Manila may also experience the effects of El Niño, but PAGASA will still have to look into the forecast. “It’s possible that Metro Manila will experience dry spell by the end of December. That means the region may have lesser rains for three months, then dry spell for the next three months,” she said. Abastillas noted that lesser rainfall is not the only impact of El Niño. The effects could also be on agriculture since this also depends on rainfall. A huge impact will be on the water sector. El Niño will also have an impact on health due to the warm weather, she pointed out. PAGASA is expecting below normal rainfall from October to the first quarter of 2024. “But for now, from July to September, we are still expecting rains due to the habagat season,” Abastillas said, adding that tropical cyclones that may enter or develop in the country will also add to the rainfall. She advised the public to start conserving water in preparation for El Niño
Source: Philippines News Agency
