Warmer Christmas due to El Niño spell

It will  be a warmer Christmas this year due to  El Niño, which started last Nov. 1.

But the El Niño, which is expected to last until the first quarter of  next year,  is a “weak” episode, said  Pagasa Central Visayas chief Oscar Tabada in the 888 News Forum yesterday.

He advised households to stock up on water when it rains.  

“Our forecast for December is that the temperature will be hotter and rainfall will be way below normal,” Tabada said.

Below normal  rainfall of 26.7 mm was recorded starting last Nov. 1.

“Our normal rainfall for November is 158.4 millimeters. We usually have 14 days of rainfall this month but so far we only have four days of rains last Nov. 1, 4, 7 and 16 which are light and scattered,” Tabada said.

Temperatures reached as high as 32.4 degrees Celsius while the lowest was 25 degrees Celsius.

The usual range is supposed to be 24.7 to 31 degrees Celsius in November.

Forecast

“This is already a big difference.  With a  recording of 32 degrees, the actual temperature of our bodies feel is already 35 degrees since  also absorb  heat from materials like cement,” Tabada said.

Based on earlier forecasts,  two to three typhoons would hit the country this month but Pagasa’s latest projections showed there won’t be a weather disturbance until next week.

With the higher surface water temperature caused by El Niño, Tabada said typhoons will be stronger than usual with winds clocking in at least 150 kilometers per hour.

But he said this year’s El Nino episode is “weak” compared to 2009 which was “average to strong.”