THE Philippines may experience more tropical storms in the coming months, particularly by the end of the year towards early 2025 due to the expected La Niña phenomenon.
In a press conference in Malacañang on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Climatology and Agrometeorology Division chief Ana Liza Solis said around 13 to 16 tropical cyclones are expected to hit the country within the year, below the normal average of 19 to 20 each year.
“During La Niña po ay usually po, medyo mas dumadami ‘yung bilang ng ating bagyo since yun pong pag-init ng temperatura ng karagatan malapit ‘yung pag-init sa atin, so therefore possible ‘yung potential tropical cyclone development na mas malapit na karagatan sa atin,” Solis said.
(During La Niña, the number of our storms usually increases a bit since the warming of the ocean temperature is near us, so tropical cyclones might develop near our ocean.)
“For now po, by this year, mga around 13 to 16 na bagyo po ang possible po this year. Ibig sabihin, maaaring below normal dahil mararamdaman po kasi natin iyong possible effect ng La Niña is last quarter of the year,” she added.
(For now, around 13 to 16 typhoons are possible this year. It may be below normal, because we will feel the possible effect of La Niña in the last quarter of the year.)
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the prevailing El Niño phenomenon or dry spell may persist until August 2024, while there is a 62 percent chance that La Niña phenomenon will be experienced by June.
He noted that the effects of La Niña will not be felt immediately while it is also possible that the onset of the rainy season will be slightly delayed.
Solidum said this also gives the country a shorter lead time to prepare for storms.
“People should always make sure that they are ready kaya importante ‘yung LGU (local government unit) at family preparedness level,” he said.
“Very dynamic ‘yung weather system, that’s why we have to keep on updating everyone,” he added.
La Niña is characterized by unusually cooler than average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific (CEP).
Solidum said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered for the activation of the El Niño Oscillation Online Platform (Enop), a centralized “repository of data” for the understanding, monitoring and addressing of the impacts of El Niño and La Niña phenomena.
He said the platform, which can be accessed through https://enop@ndrrmc.gov.ph, is focused on addressing the five priority sectors in the El Niño and La Niña action program such as food, water, health, public safety and energy.
Solidum urged the public to visit the platform to know more about the condition of the different sectors, and the intervention of the government agencies that can help them prepare for the effects of El Niño and La Niña.
The portal also provides the public with measures that enable them to contribute to the solutions.
“The citizens can also report what they observe on the ground and there’s a citizen survey that can be used – there’s a QR code in the website -- and this can be easily accommodated through a dashboard,” Solidum said.
He added that an exclusive dashboard or platform was designed for local government units for a more detailed reporting that can also be used by national agencies for appropriate action and response. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)