PAGASA yet to develop tornado warning capability

After the recent occurrences of tornadoes in Manila and Bulacan, weather services bureau Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) admitted that it has no means of issuing a tornado warning.

"Unang-una rare and tornado so hindi ganoon kalaki ang data na makukuha natin para mapag-aralan natin ng husto. Pangalawa 'yung doppler radar karamihan ay bago pa lang," said Jori Loiz, PAGASA senior weather forecaster, in a report by GMA News' Cesar Apolinario on 24 Oras.

For now, data gathered by storm chasers are being used for studying tornadoes, the report said.

According to the weather bureau that based on Doppler radar images, the tornado that hit Tondo and Sampaloc in Manila may have emerged from a severe thunderstorm in Manila Bay.

Doppler radar images from Bulacan, on the other hand, showed a red image indicating cold temperatures before a white image developed in the middle. The white image is believed to have been the tornado that developed in the province.

While PAGASA managed to gather such data, Engineer Lorenzo Moon, a weather specialist/meteorologist, said: "Pinag-aaralan pa ito. Mahirap magbigay ng mga warning ng tornado sa ngayon."

"Talagang binubusisi natin ito. Very careful and very thorough ang pag develop natin nito kasi at the end of the day kung hindi maganda ying dini-develop nating warning system na wala tayong proper validation, yung mga kababayan natin ang maaapektuhan," Moon said.

In the absence of a tornado-warning system, Loiz urged the public to closely monitor weather bulletins.

"Maging aware po tayo, pakinggan natin kung saan ang thunderstorm advisory at kung kayo ay nasa lugar na sinasabihan na magkakaroon ng thunderstorm ay maging prepared po tayo," Loiz said. —Ted Cordero/NB, GMA News