El Niño phenomenon will continue to take its massive effect until the middle of the year as it is now experienced in at least 30 provinces in the country, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) acting Administrator Dr. Vicente Malano said yesterday.
(State weather forecasters are expecting effects of El Niño to last till the middle of 2015.)
The provinces that currently experiencing the dry spell are Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Batanes, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Palawan, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Bohol, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur.
PAGASA explained that the dry spell experienced by the affected provinces is expected to cause three consecutive months of below normal (21 percent to 60 percent reduction from average) rainfall conditions or two consecutive months of way below normal (more than 60 percent reduction from average) rainfall conditions.
The warmer than average sea surface temperature in the topical Pacific Ocean has been felt since March when El Niño started affectomg the rainfall pattern in most parts of the country.
Meanwhile, PAGASA says Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), including the provinces of Catanduanes, Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, and Sarangani will experience near to above rainfall conditions while the rest of the country will likely receive way below to below normal rainfall this month.
Based on the predicted ranges of temperature, the lowlands of Luzon will experience 21°C to 39°C while the mountainous part are likely to experience from 15°C to 26°C. Visayas with 15°C to 26°C. lowland areas in Mindanao is in 23°C to 39°C while, the mountainous is in 18°C to 31°C.
H/T: Manila Bulletin; Photo lifted from Rappler