The weather bureau has just forewarned Filipinos. Less rainfall will be experienced before the onset of the wet season because of a mild dry spell, but stronger typhoons could hit the Philippines this year as a result of the same weather phenomenon.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, or Pagasa, conceded that the El Niño could make storms “stronger” and more “erratic” in 2015 amid climate change.
“El Nino may cause the behavior of tropical cyclones to become erratic, affecting [their] tracks and intensity,” weather bureau chief Vicente Malano said in an advisory. “The tropical cyclone tracks are expected to shift northward and [their] intensity could become stronger.”
Recent typhoons in the Philippines have increased their ferocity and tended to strike even outside the traditional rainy season and hit once largely untouched areas.
Climate change, meanwhile, has become more noticeable. The weather bureau expects below-normal rainfall this month in most parts of the country but more rains over the western section of the country in July. Many parts of the Philippines had already been experiencing less than the normal amount of rainfall as early as November 2014 due to the El Niño.
The national government, especially those in charge of planning and disaster response, should heed the warning of Pagasa to minimize damage and loss of lives when the typhoon seasons sets in. Super typhoon Yolanda, the strongest ever to hit land, left over 7,000 people dead or missing in the Visayas in November 2013 after dumping tsunami-like waves on coastlines and wiping out entire villages.
The government this early must permanently relocate those living along the waterways of Metro Manila and people sheltered in disaster-prone areas. River and other water systems should be de-clogged once and for all to partly solve flooding in Metro Manila.
Climate change, as shown by recent strong typhoons and the more frequent occurrence of El Niño, requires a more active response from authorities.