MANILA, Philippines — Pormal nang inanunsyo ng state weather bureau ang pagsisimula ng "rainy season" sa Pilipinas, bagay na naging opisyal matapos dumaan ng noo'y Super Typhoon Betty, Hanging Habagat, at kalat-kalat na pag-ulan.
Ibinahagi ng PAGASA ang balita ngayong Biyerne, halos isang buwan magbabala tungkol sa 80% posibilidad ng pagsisimula ng El Niño phenomenon sa pagitan ng Hunyo hanggang Agosto. Kakambal nito ang "below-normal rainfall conditions" sa ilang bahagi ng bansa.
"The occurrence of scattered thunderstorms, the passage of Super Typhoon (STY) 'BETTY' and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) over the past few days have brought widespread rains over the western sections of Luzon and Visayas which signify the start of the rainy season in the country, especially over the Climate Type I areas," wika ng PAGASA kanina.
"However, breaks in rainfall events (also known as monsoon breaks) may occur, which can last for several days or weeks."
"Furthermore, a transition from ENSO-neutral to El Niño is favored in the next couple of months, with a higher chance of El Niño persisting up to the first quarter of 2024."
Posibleng magdala ng negatibong epekto ang El Niño gaya ng tagtuyot (dry spells at drought) sa ilang bahagi ng Pilipinas.
Gayunpaman, maaasahan din daw ang enhanced Southwest monsoon season (Habagat) na pwedeng magdala ng above-normal rainfall conditions sa ilang bahagi ng bansa.
Martes lang nang magbabala ang Department of Health tungkol sa mga sakit na madalas kumalat tuwing El Niño gaya na lang ng:
- diarrhea
- sunburns
- fatigue, heat cramp/stroke
- food poisoning, asthma, nausea, atbp. sakit dahil sa pagkonsumo ng pagkaing apektado ng "Red Tide"
- cholera, typhoid fever, atbp. vector-borne diseases gaya ng dengue
"PAGASA will continue to monitor the weather and climate situation of the country. The public and all concerned agencies are advised to take precautionary measures against the impacts of the rainy season," wika pa nila.