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Pagasa: RP lucky to get 2 storms in August


Saying the country is now experiencing the backlash of global warming, a senior weather forecaster said the Philippines will be lucky to get two typhoons in August. Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) senior forecaster Ludy Alviar said this was a far cry from four typhoons previously forecast to hit in August. "There is a high-pressure area in our territory and it prevents the low-pressure areas that generate typhoons from forming. We are just hoping we'll be lucky enough to get two storms in August," Alviar said in Filipino during an interview on dzBB radio. Parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces suffered Wednesday a two-hour blackout after hydroelectric plants were unable to generate sufficient power. The National Power Corp. (Napocor) noted the low level of rainfall caught by dams that power these hydroelectric plants. These dams include Angat, Magat, Pantabangan, San Roque, and Binga. Authorities feared that the power outages could last two to three days should the electricity supply from the Napocor fail to normalize. Alviar said the Philippines was initially expected to experience three typhoons in July, but none of these weather disturbances passed through any part of the Philippines. Two typhoons entered the Philippine area of responsibility earlier this year, but veered away and "spared" the country. "We were supposed to experience three typhoons this July but they failed to form, or they veered away. This August there should be four typhoons, but we'd be happy to end up with two," she said. Alviar said the only rains are likely in Visayas and Mindanao, where an intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is located. When asked if the prolonged hot season is the result of global warming, Alviar said it is. "Yes, it's the effect of global warming. It's very hot and humid," she said. - GMANews.TV

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