The country’s weather bureau, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned the Filipino public that the country should prepare for another Yolanda-like typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. The warning was aired by PAGASA during a press conference in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR).
According to Engr. Hilario Esperanza, head of PAGASA-CAR, it is safe to assume that another super typhoon would hit the country this year because of the unpredictability of the weather due to climate change and global warming.
The PAGASA head was quoted as saying “We can expect 19 to 21 weather disturbances this year and because of climate change, there could be at least one extreme storm,” he said.
Recently, the country’s weather bureau already included a new storm signal number to inform residents of the severity of the coming storm. he country continue to experience an increasing number of extreme storms for the past few years.
According to PAGASA, the newest typhoon signal they assigned, Signal No 5 was instituted on May, 2015 to better warn people that they are in the path of a super typhoon with winds reaching in excess of 220 kilometers per hour near the center.
PAGASA also noted that this month of July alone, they are expecting two to three tropical cyclones to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility.