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By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

THE summer-like heat in the city and elsewhere in northern Mindanao since weekend has been due to the El Niño phenomenon, a government weather specialist in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, said on Wednesday.

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There are no signs it would go away anytime soon. On the contrary, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) sees the El Niño intensifying towards yearend, and extending up to the first quarter of 2016. But Pagasa weather specialist Luz Mercado said this week’s temperatures have not been rising to critical levels. The critical level starts at 38 degrees Celsius.

On Tuesday, the hottest was 32.4 degrees Celsius experienced at 2 pm in the city. On Wednesday, the hottest hour was 11 am when the temparature rose to 31 degrees Celsius in Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro, and Bukidnon. The “normal” temperature, according to Mercado, is 22 degrees Celsius or a bit higher.

The humidity factor here on Wednesday was 56 percent, according MSNBC. Humidity is what makes temperature feel warmer to human beings.

Mercado forecast that Cagayan de Oro and other places in the region would continue to experience warm and dry conditions with the possibility of occasional rains during certain hours. She said, “This is the effect of El Niño.”

Pagasa, she said, has seen no cloud formations over the Pacific Ocean which has become warmer due to the El Niño phenomenon.

Mercado said that after typhoon ‘‘Hanna,’’ almost all the moisture from the Pacific Ocean are being brought by winds towards the hemisphere that is north of the equator.

“Tua karon sa northern hemisphere ang baga kaayo nga panganod gikan dinhi sa Pacific Ocean. Bugnaw ilang temperature karon didto,” she said.

Mercado earlier said rains were expected especially since August is still rainy season in the country but Pagasa forecasts that there would be lesser but stronger typhoons towards yearend because of the El Niño.

Storm-free Meanwhile, Pagasa said the country would remain storm-free this weekend. Pagasa weather forecaster Rene Paciente said the agency has not seen any weather disturbance near the Philippine area that may develop into tropical cyclone within the next three days.

He noted they monitored a cloud cluster but still has slim chance to develop into low pressure area. He said the agency expects two to four tropical cyclones to affect the country this month.

The tropical cyclone that has so far affected the country this month was locally named “Hanna,” which enhanced the prevailing southwest monsoon. The next tropical cyclone will be locally named “Ineng.”

The state weather bureau has not issued gale warning as fisherfolks are safe to venture into the seas. (with reports from pna)

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