PAGASA: Only 10 tropical cyclones entered PH so far in 2023

Only 10 tropical cyclones have entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility so far this year, which is around half the usual number, PAGASA said Friday.

“Usually, around 19 to 20 na cyclones. So ngayon, nakaka-10 pa lang po tayo (Usually, around 19 to 20 cyclones are expected every year. So now, we only had 10),” PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Ana Liza Solis said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

“Probably po ay inaasahan ng PAGASA around one or two ngayong Disyembre but then iyong chances po medyo maliit din po,” she added.

(Probably, PAGASA is expecting around one or two more cyclones to enter PAR this December, but the chances are quite small.)

Since July, Solis said that some parts of the country have already been experiencing the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.

On Thursday, PAGASA said that the country will be experiencing a "warmer" holiday season and that the forecast temperature reading for the month of December will be from 12°C to 36°C.

In Metro Manila, the forecast will range from 17°C to 36.5°C, with the lowest temperature dropping to 17.1°C.

On July 4, PAGASA declared the start of the El Niño phenomenon in the Tropical Pacific.

The El Niño phenomenon is characterized by abnormal warming of sea surface temperature in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, as well as below normal rainfall.

By the end of December, PAGASA said three provinces including Batangas, Cavite, and Oriental Mindoro are expected to experience drought. 

Drought means three consecutive months of way below normal rainfall conditions with over 60% reduction from the average rainfall, according to PAGASA.

It could also be five consecutive months of below normal rainfall conditions with 21% to 60% reduction from the average rainfall, PAGASA added.

The government created the National El Niño Team to work on mitigating the effects of the phenomenon on the country. —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News