El Niño may start in next two months

MANILA, Philippines - A weak El Niño event may start within the next two months, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.

Citing latest data from foreign climate monitoring agencies, PAGASA said an El Niño is expected to begin within the next one to two months and may last until March to May 2015.

El Niño is the abnormal warming of the Pacific Ocean and is associated with below normal rainfall. The government is closely watching the phenomenon as it could adversely affect the volume of rainfall and reduce water supply in dams for power and irrigation.

But the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this year’s El Niño is likely to be weak throughout its duration.

PAGASA acting deputy administrator for operations and services Landrico Dalida Jr. earlier said the weather bureau also does not expect the phenomenon to cause a significant reduction in the country’s projected rainfall for the period.

Despite the El Niño, PAGASA still expects cooler temperatures in the country in the coming weeks and months.

For this month, temperatures are expected to be near normal in most parts of the country except for the mountainous areas in Mindanao, where slightly cooler than normal temperatures are likely.

Last week, PAGASA recorded the coldest weather in Baguio City and Metro Manila since the start of the northeast monsoon season at 12.4 and 19.7 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The weather bureau, however, projected below normal rainfall in many areas in the country except for the Cordillera Administrative Region, most parts of northeastern Luzon, Bicol region, Davao region and Caraga region this month.

But the agency did not say if the reduction of rain in some parts of the Philippines could be attributed to the El Niño. It had said some parts of the country normally receive below average rainfall during the northeast monsoon season.