CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Association in Central Visayas (Pagasa-7) said Cebu is still categorically experiencing drought even with the announcement that the rainy season has officially started.
Engineer Al Quiblat, the head of the Pagasa-7, said that even with the intermittent and isolated rainfalls experienced in Cebu, only 20 millimetres of rain has been recorded in Cebu in the last 15 days of June.
This is a far cry from the 190 millimetres rainfall that should be normal level for the month of June.
Quiblat said unless Cebu has reached the normal average rainfall, the region is still experiencing drought brought about by the predominant El Niño weather phenomenon.
This means that Cebu will continue to experience hot mornings and humid nights.
On June 13, Cebu recorded an atmospheric temperature of 35.9 degrees Celsius and a heat index of 43.9 degrees Celsius.
These temperatures almost broke the record of hottest day of the year on May 28 when a 36 degrees Celsius atmospheric temperature was recorded with a 44 degrees Celsius of heat index.
Quiblat said that Central Visayas will not experience as much rainfall as Western Visayas as the Southwest monsoon is prevalent in that area.
The rainy season will not yet be pronounced in Central Visayas and only isolated rain showers can be experienced on a daily basis with motion breaks or periods of dry weather in between lasting from a day to a week.
However, Quiblat said that at least one weather disturbance is expected in June which will increase the rainfall and lower the average temperature.
“It is still the middle of June, typhoons may come anytime as we are expecting one to two weather disturbances in June,” said Quiblat.
On the next few days, Quiblat said that rains are most likely to occur at night than in the morning and so people should expect slightly colder nights compared to the past few months.
However, the rains are not expected to be strong or to last long.
Rainfall volume is expected to normalize in July. / celr