By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .
THE Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) is expecting a shorter dry season and more wet days this year due to a weather phenomenon that’s cooling the surface of parts of the Pacific Ocean.
The dry season is expected to be shorter this year — it could end on the last week of April or first week of May, according to weather specialist Jose Frivaldo of the Pagasa station in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental.
“Paghuman sa dry season, mopuli dayon ang wet season. Mao na kana ang panahon sa — ting-ulan na dayon na,” he said.
Frivaldo said warm weather conditions were being cushioned by a weak La Niña.
The La Niña phenomenon is characterized by the cooling of parts of the Pacific Ocean, particularly the equatorial eastern and central sides. The phenomeonon is considered to be in place when the temperatures of ocean’s surface drop by at least 0.5 degrees Celsius and become cooler than average.
Frivaldo said Pagasa expects a longer wet season as a result of the weak La Niña.
“Mao nang mas daghan karong tuiga ang ihap sa mga adlaw sa ting-ulan kay sa ihap sa adlaw sa ting-init,” he said.
Frivaldo said the weak La Niña also means that weather conditions in the country would be relatively cooler this year compared to 2017’s when temperatures shot up because of the El Niño phenomenon.
The dry season has yet to start. Cool northeast winds are expected to continue blowing in the coming days and provide people a bit of relief at the onset of the dry season, he said.
Pagasa said the dry season would only start as soon as the trade winds are gone.
The dry season could start either late this month or on the first week of April, Frivaldo said.
“We have not yet declared the start of the dry season because we’re still feeling the effects of the northeast monsoon. The dry season only comes after it,” Frivaldo said.
Meanwhile, a trough of a low-pressure area brought scattered rainshowers in some parts of Mindanao yesterday.
The regions of Caraga, Davao, Soccsksargen and Zamboanga peninsula had cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and isolated thunderstorms caused by the trough of low-pressure area. (with a report from pna)
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