The state weather bureau on Friday urged the public to actively conserve water, warning that a looming El Niño phenomenon is expected to impact the country well into the first quarter of next year.
Analisa Solis, chief of the Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), stated that the public should prepare for an initial bout of wet weather before the dry spell officially takes hold.
“Posibleng magkaroon muna tayo ng maraming pag-ulan o heavy rainfall events bago natin maranasan yung possible napagbaba o reduction ng tubig ulan.”
Solis emphasized the necessity of early preparation during an interview with government-owned television station PTV-4, highlighting that the climatic event will span across multiple weather seasons.
“So kailangan po tayong maghanda pa rin sa paparating na epekto ng El Niño sa panahon ng habagat… dahil possible po na up to 1st quarter next year ay mararansan pa din natin ito.”
Despite current scorching conditions, with temperatures across most parts of the Philippines hitting heat index danger levels between 42 and 51 degrees Celsius, PAGASA clarified that El Niño has not yet formally set in.
“Hindi pa ito yung direktang epekto ng El Niño pero nakakaranas na tayo ng mataas na temperatura at alinsangan.”
However, the transition is rapidly approaching. Solis revealed that the probability of the climate pattern developing has become nearly certain, prompting an upcoming shift in their monitoring status.
“Baka pagきてng ng June ay makapag taas na tayo ng El Niño advisory… Ngayon ay more than 90 percent na yung tiyansa.”
According to PAGASA’s timeline, the southwest monsoon (habagat) is expected to prevail over the archipelago from July to August, acting as the final weather phase before El Niño takes full effect.
The areas currently bearing the brunt of the intense dry-season heat include the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, the Cordilleras, and large portions of the Visayas and Mindanao.