AFTER prolonged rainy weather, neutral weather conditions are expected to take over by March, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in Davao.
Chief meteorologist Lita Vinalay said on February 24 that based on the latest climate outlook of Pagasa, the rainy season brought by La Niña is ending and will be replaced by neutral weather conditions but rains and storms can still happen.
“Mag neutral pa ta (We would have neutral weather) but normally in March, April, or May, init ang panahon kay ang northeast monsoon o hangin amihan, ma-dissipate naman (we would have drier temperatures because the northeast monsoon is dissipating). Karon ang hangin amihan hinay na (The hangin amihan is starting to get weak),” Vinalay said during an interview with the Davao City Disaster Radio.
The La Niña has been ongoing since 2021 which caused prolonged rains even during the supposed dry months. But since neutral conditions are forecasted for the coming months, Vinalay said hotter temperatures will prevail.
It is also possible that drier El Niño weather may occur later this year, particularly by June or July.
“Southwest naman sad na panahon or hangin habagat so naa mga bagyo (It’s the southwest monsoon or hangin habagat season so there would be storms) but pagka-last quarter of the year, the impending El Niño, mag ubos na sad ang amount of rainfall na masinati (in the last quarter of the year, there may be less amounts of rainfall due to the impending El Niño),” she said.
However, the onset of El Niño is not final and Pagasa is monitoring whether or not it will develop. Vinalay said they will issue advisories in advance to prepare the public.
In a previous report, Vinalay said El Niño has a return period of around seven to nine years from the last time it occurred, compared to La Niña which takes place every two to five years.
“Cycle na sa kadagatan, the interaction between the (Pacific) ocean and atmosphere,” she said. ICM