'La Niña-like' conditions seen until March - PAGASA

The country may experience La Niña-like conditions in the coming months, according to PAGASA.

PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Ana Liza Solis on Saturday said that the country has been on La Niña alert since July but has yet to reach the necessary activity threshold to declare a La Niña season.

“Nandiyan po siya sa malapit na threshold o borderline, dahil nakikita po natin yung mga possible impacts ng isang La Niña, kaya La Niña-like conditions yung pinalabas natin [na advisory]… Sa ngayon po, ‘yung nakikita po natin is ito pong buwan ng December, January, February is around 72% [chance of La Niña]," Solis said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB. 

(We are currently near the threshold or borderline, because we can see the possible impacts of a La Niña, which is why we released an advisory for La Niña-like conditions… As of now, we predict that there is a 72% chance of La Niña.)

"At least itong January, February, March ay ganun pa rin po ang ating mararanasan,” Solis added.

(At least for this January, February, or March, we will still experience the same conditions.)

Solis also said that PAGASA is not discounting the possibility that the La Niña threshold may be reached in the coming months. 

“Nandiyan parin po yung posibilidad na mare-reach yung threshold, pero hindi po siya masusunod, ‘yung tinatawag nating full-blown La Niña kung saan maaaring magtagal ng 6 na buwan or more,” added Solis.

(The possibility of reaching the threshold is still there, but it may not be followed by what we call a full-blown La Niña that may last for 6 months or more.)

“Kung mapapansin niyo po, madami tayong weather system… Makakaranas [tayo] ng Shear Line, kasi po ang La Niña, ang kasama po ito ang malakas na easterlies,” she said.

(If you notice, we have a lot of weather systems… [We] might experience Shear Line, because La Niña comes with strong easterlies.)

“Huwag pa rin po pakampante ang ating mga kababayan, dahil marami pa rin pong weather system na posibleng makapagpaulan at magbigay ng mga baha at landslide sa mga susunod pa na araw.” 

(The public should not be complacent, because we have many other weather systems that may bring rain and cause floods or landslides over the next few days.)

—Jiselle Anne Casucian/ VAL, GMA Integrated News