Pagasa: Mild El Niño sets in; impact on water supply feared

Since June, sea temperature has been rising, slowly developing into a weak El Niño condition, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has said. Pagasa warned that such a condition may have negative effects on water supply, agriculture and even on daily weather conditions. [See Pagasa story on weak El Niño] “Persistence of these present conditions in the tropical Pacific will continue to affect rainfall patterns in the country for the coming season. This El Niño condition may adversely impact on domestic water supply, agriculture and our day-to-day weather conditions," it said. It noted rainfall in August was “unusually below normal," especially in the western part of the country, due to the below-average frequency of tropical cyclones. In August, it said, only one cyclone passed through Philippine territory, breaking the usual three-cyclone occurrence. Pagasa said that since early May, weaker-than-average low-level equatorial easterly winds have persisted across most of the equatorial Pacific. These oceanic and atmospheric anomalies are consistent with developing El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific, it said. “Concerned agencies are advised to take precautionary measures to mitigate the potential adverse impacts of this El Niño event," Pagasa said. - GMANews.TV