Pagasa warns of floods, landslides over weekend

FLOODS and landslides are likely to happen with the incessant rain that is projected to continue until Sunday, Sept. 2.

The weather bureau warned residents of low-lying areas and those living in landslide-prone areas to take precautionary measures to avoid danger to life and property.

Al Quiblat, chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in Mactan, said light to moderate and occasional heavy rains are expected to prevail due to the low pressure area (LPA) about 350 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

On Friday, Pagasa Mactan recorded 11 millimeters of rainfall from 8 a.m. until noon or four straight hours of continuous downpour.

“The trough or the extension of the LPA is causing the rainfall here in the Visayas that is why until Sunday, we expect to have cloudy skies with light to moderate and occasional heavy rains,” Quiblat said.

However, Quiblat said the LPA is not expected to develop into a typhoon because of the influence of a stronger weather system, a super typhoon, outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

The super typhoon has very slim chance of entering PAR but is expected to enhance the effects of the southwest monsoon in the coming week, Quiblat said.

“The possibility for the typhoon to get in the country is very small because it shifted its direction from westerly to west northwest. It will not directly affect the Visayas but it may enhance the southwest monsoon (habagat),” Quiblat said.

However, Quiblat said that a dryer September is expected for the rest of the month.

Quiblat said that during their climate forum on Wednesday, they projected a below normal amount of rainfall for September .

The amount of rain will go to near normal in October and will be at the normal level by November to December.

“Based on our present data, the typhoons will start to get in and have a significant effect during these months. But if there will really be an El Niño, the greatest effect will be felt on the first quarter of 2019,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Baltazar Tribunalo Jr. urged the public to take advantage of the weekend weather to store water amid the threat of unstable water supply due to less rainfall expected for September.

Pagasa projected that there is about 70% chance of an El Niño phenomenon by the end of this year.

“Kon aduna silay tanke o baril nga makapundo sila, atong gidasig pagbalikbalik nila ang pagdaginot sa tubig,” he said.

(If they have tanks or barrels, we encourage them to save water.)

As part of their proactive measure for the upcoming dry spell, Tribunalo said they are formulating their El Niño Preparedness Plan.