The country is currently experiencing a “strong” El Niño phenomenon that will continue until February, the state weather bureau said yesterday.
PAGASA said the El Niño phenomenon may be felt until May before transitioning to El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-neutral until June.
ENSO is defined by thw US National Weather Service as a “recurring climate pattern involving changes in the temperature of waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.”
“Majority of global climate models suggest that El Niño will likely persist until the March-April-May 2024 season with a transition to ENSO-neutral in the April-May-June 2024 season,” PAGASA said.
“All government agencies and the general public are encouraged to take precautionary measures to mitigate the adverse impacts of the said climate phenomenon,” it added.
Last week, the state weather bureau said it expects fewer than the average number of typhoons this year as the effects of El Niño drag on.
PAGASA climate monitoring chief Ana Liza Solis said 13 to 19 typhoons could enter the country in 2024, lower than the usual 19 to 20. Rio Araja
“There is also a possibility that over the dry months in March, April, and May, it could be one of our warmest years on record. Historically, we see some of our hottest temperatures during El Niño years,” she said.