LA NIÑA PREPS. PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Ana Liza Solis assures full coordination with other government agencies as the country prepares for the effects of the looming La Niña. In an interview at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Thursday (May 16, 2024), Solis said the full-blown effect of La Niña may be felt from October to December. (Screengrab)
MANILA – The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Thursday assured that it will issue continuous early warnings as the government braces for the La Niña.
During the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing, PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Ana Liza Solis said mitigation measures are in place in coordination with other government agencies under the Task Force El Niño.
"Sa side ng PAGASA, ang ginagawa po natin is at least iyong mga early warning systems natin ay kailangan po iyan maging ready or ma-check natin (On the side of PAGASA, what we are doing is to at least ready or check our early warning systems)," she said.
Solis added these include the identification of low-lying areas potentially vulnerable to flooding, as well as coordination with river centers to determine tributaries of flood-prone areas, particularly in Visayas and Mindanao.
To date, PAGASA has been in close collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Agriculture (DA), among others.
In terms of La Niña, the country may experience its full-blown effect from October to December, which shall also coincide with the peak occurrence of southwest monsoon and typhoons, according to PAGASA.
The country may experience around 13 to 16 typhoons, with the onset of the rainy season starting between the last week of May or from June 1 to 15. However, there is still a 15-percent chance of delay in its transition to June 16 and beyond.
Solis, meanwhile, advised that some areas may still hit a dangerous level of heat index in the coming days even as the El Niño phenomenon weakens.
These include portions of the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, as well as Central and Eastern Visayas. (PNA)
