MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 17 March) – La Niña (cold phase) condition has ended but the country may still experience above-normal rainfall conditions in the coming months due to its lag effect, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its latest climate advisory.
The rainfall forecast for March shows that generally, most parts of the country will likely experience near to above-normal rainfall conditions except for some provinces over the western section of Northern Luzon and the northern part of Palawan that may receive below-normal to way below-normal rainfall, Pagasa said.
This could lead to heavy rainfall, floods, flash floods and rain-induced landslides in some highly vulnerable areas, it said.
In the past months several flooding occurrences and rain-induced landslides have happened in various areas of the country, including in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Davao Region.
A report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council dated February 25 said floods and landslides caused three fatalities and damage to infrastructure and agriculture totaling around P290 million.
Pagasa added there is an increased likelihood of a transition to El Niño after June.
El Niño, it said, increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions, which could have negative effects (such as dry spells and droughts) in some areas of the country.
The last time an El Niño hit parts of the country, including several areas in Mindanao, was from the last quarter of 2018 until July 2019. (MindaNews)
