El Niño is an abnormal weather pattern caused by the warming of the Pacific Ocean. It is characterized by climatic aberrations around the world — warming in South America, torrential rains in North America, and drought in Southeast Asia and Australia. This phenomenon occurs every two to seven years.
Climatic Indicators of El Niño in the Philippines
• delayed onset of the rainy season
• early termination of the rainy season
• weak monsoon activity
• isolated heavy but short downpours
• weak tropical cyclone activity
• far tropical cyclone track
• fewer tropical cyclones entering the Philippine area of responsibility
• less intense tropical cyclones
Severe droughts in the Philippines
1982-1983
1992-1993
1997-1998
More... Worse than 2008 This year’s dry spell, which might last until the second week of May, is worse than 2008, according to Susan Espinueva of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (PAGASA) Hydrometeorological Division.
She added, however, that it is “a lot milder" than the 1997-1998 El Niño. "In 2008, the dams’ water levels did not drop to such low levels," she pointed out. Espinueva said the good news is that the dry spell had apparently reached its peak in February. But the government should brace for its effects since the country has yet to feel “the peak of its impact," she added.
Espinueva could not say if the damage this year will be worse, even as she confirmed that more farmlands would likely dry up due to lack of rain and irrigation water. She said the severity of the El Niño drought also largely depends on the length of the dry season that regularly affects wide sections of the country this time of year. (ph.news.yahoo.com
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