La Niña Watch issued, El Niño weakened, says Pagasa
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A La Niña Watch has been issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) following the issuance of an El Niño alert in the previous months.
This was confirmed by the local weather bureau based in Mactan on Tuesday, March 12.
They stated that there would be a 55 percent possibility of La Niña occurring within the next six months.
Engineer Al Quiblat, the chief of Pagasa-Mactan, said that although they had issued a La Niña Watch, (and) people should not expect to feel its effects immediately.
READ: El Nino waning, La Nina to develop in second half of 2024
He also emphasized that this would not mean that El Niño had already passed.
“It doesn’t mean nga moissue na ang Pagasa og 55 percent La Niña watch, madama ni nato ang impact sa daghan nga ulan…dili pa expected nato masinati ang impact sa La Niña. Dili ta magexpect og La Niña, dili pa,” Quiblat told CDN Digital.
(It does not mean that Pagasa would issue a 55 percent La Niña watch, we can feel the impact of much rain..we cannot still expect to feel the impact of La Niña. We cannot expect a La Niña, not yet.)
La Niña is a climate pattern that occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean become cooler than normal, resulting in changes in global weather patterns.
This phenomenon often brings increased rainfall to some regions and drought to others, affecting agriculture, ecosystems, and weather conditions worldwide.
READ: Pagasa: Northeast monsoon ending soon; rains likely this Monday
Quiblat suggested that residents should not focus their attention on the upcoming La Niña, instead, they must prepare for the effects of El Niño, expected to be felt from April to May.
“Now kung mo-grabe pa ang indication nga aduna pay La Niña, ato ni siyang i-raise to La Niña Alert kung ma 75 percent for the next six months,” he said.
(Now if this will get worse and there is an indication that there is still La Niña, we will rise the La Niña alert if it will be 75 percent for the next six months.)
Moreover, Quiblat clarified that although El Niño might have begun to weaken, its impact remained prevalent in the country.
He also clarified that while Cebu had not been directly affected by El Niño or La Niña, residents might still experience their effects.
In a statement from Pagasa dated March 7, it stated that the El Niño advisory started to weaken and might return to normal conditions from April to June.
However, the model forecasts suggest an increasing probability of La Niña developing from June to August. As a result, the Pagasa is now raising a La Niña Watch.
According to the statement, when conditions are favorable for the development of La Niña within the next six months and the probability is 55 percent or more, a La Niña Alert is issued.
Meanwhile, Pagasa will continue to closely monitor the ongoing El Niño, its effect on the local climate, and the possibility of La Niña.
All concerned agencies and the public are encouraged to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures against the potential impacts of these weather conditions.
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