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Philippines braces for prolonged, intense rains after drought

Xinhua, May 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Philippines is bracing for intense rains particularly in the eastern section of the country by the end of the year until the first quarter of 2017 due to a possible La Nina event, the country's weather bureau has warned.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the possibility of a La Nina phenomenon is likely during the second half of the year, the Philippine Star, a daily newspaper, reported on Wednesday.

The weather bureau said strong El Ninos are usually followed by equally strong La Ninas.

Based on the lastest climate forecasts, Lucero, officer-in-charge of PAGASA's climate monitoring and prediction section, said there is a "50-50" chance of a La Nina occurrence this year.

La Nina refers to the abnormal cooling in the sea surface temperature over the tropical Pacific and is characterized by excessive rainfall.

Lucero said La Nina might start developing during the southwest monsoon season but its impact will be felt by the last quarter of the year.

An El Nino-induced drought continues to cause havoc in northern Philippines. The drought is affecting the rest of the country with power cuts and water rationing, including in the capital.

Lucero said despite its possible termination in July, the impact of El Nino might still linger until August.

Lucero said the expected heavy rains from La Nina would be felt during October, November and December.

Its full impact will likely be experienced in December, January and February, he added.

The 1997-1998 strong El Nino was followed by La Nina in 1999, wherein many parts of the country experienced intense rainfall and flooding.

The last time the Philippines experienced La Nina was in 2012 when some parts of the country, including Metro Manila, were hit by massive flooding due to days of intensive rains. Endit