An aerial view of the of the Buhisan Dam taken on March 11, 2019, as the dry spell brought on by the El Niño weather phenomenon takes a toll on crops, fish farms and water supply in Cebu. /CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu might have a respite from the dry spell if the low pressure area (LPA), which is expected to make landfall in Mindanao early next week, can bring heavy rains here.
Al Quiblat, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration in Central Visayas (Pagasa-7) chief, said in a phone interview with CDN Digital on Saturday, April 6, that the LPA, which is seen approaching the southeast portion of the Philippine Area of Responsibility, would be expected to make landfall in Mindanao on Monday and Tuesday.
Quiblat said that the LPA would be expected to bring heavy rains in Central Visayas then.
“Di buot ipasabot nga El Niño, no rain at all,” Quiblat clarified, adding that the phenomenon only means that there are fewer chances of rain.
(It doesn’t mean that because there’s an El Niño, there would be no rain at all.)
Read more: El Niño Phenomenon: Cebu province under state of calamity
However, even if the LPA would bring heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday, he said, Cebu would still need a month’s worth of rain to recover from the ill effects of El Niño.
“Sa amo sum total, usa na ka buwan na ang ato na alkansi nga uwan,” Quiblat added.
(In our estimates, we already lack a month’s worth of rain.)
Read more: Heat drains water from Buhisan dam
The state weather bureau previously said that the rains happening in the past few days would have little effect on the water supply of Cebu, with the volume of water peaking only at 3.4 millimeters, which was equaly to 17,000 barrels of rain per square kilometer.
Quiblat also encouraged the public to use this opportunity to save on water as the following days would have very little rain at all./dbs