DRRMC alerts public against La Niña

PIA Press Release

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

DRRMC alerts public against La Niña

by Elaine O. Ratunil

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Jan. 17 (PIA) – The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), Northern Mindanao, has called on all the local DRRMC’s to undertake precautionary measures in their areas of responsibility (AOR) against the likely occurrence of floods and rain-induced landslides in hazard prone areas.

This, after the National DRRMC, has issued La Niña Advisory No. 3, on January 16, 2011, to inform and warn communities to take proactive actions to aim for zero casualties and avoid loss of lives and properties that may result from this phenomenon.

The La Niña advisory issued talks about proactive actions which may take the form of evacuation rather than rescue or mitigation and prevention rather than response and rehabilitation, said Regional Director Ana C. Cañeda of the Office on Civil Defense (OCD), region 10.

The ongoing oceanic and atmosphere patterns in the equatorial Pacific reflect the continuation of a weak to moderate La Niña. The latest observations, combined with model forecasts, suggest that La Niña will be weaken and expected to dissipate between March and May. Its peak is likely this January.

Meanwhile, the weather systems that influenced the country’s climate during December were Northeast (NE) monsoon, ridge of High Pressure Area (LPA), tail end of the cold front, wind convergence, Low Pressure Area (LPA) and one tropical cyclone, said Cañeda.

Tropical Storm ‘Sendong’, on Dec. 15-18, ranked first for the top ten (10) 2011 Philippine destructive tropical cyclones with the most number of deaths totaling to 1,275 as reported of which cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in region 10 suffer the most.

Climate pattern during the month was influenced by the on-going La Niña event enhancing rainfall distribution in most areas in the country.

By this January, slightly warmer than normal surface air temperatures are expected to affect the country. However, cold surge is expected over extreme northern Luzon. Predicted ranges of temperature for January will be 17oC to 33oC over the lowlands of Luzon, 11oC to 24oC over the mountainous areas of Luzon, 20oC to 31oC for Visayas, 22oC to 34oC over the lowlands of Mindanao and 17oC to 24oC over the mountainous areas of Mindanao.

Weather systems that will likely affect the country in January are NE monsoon, tail end of the cold front, LPA and ridge of HPA.

One tropical cyclone is likely to develop or enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) during the month. Rainfall distribution in most areas of northern and central Luzon will likely above normal including the western section of Mindanao. Flooding, flashfloods and landslides are likely to happen in some affected areas, particularly over Visayas and Mindanao. The rest of the country is expected to have near normal rainfall condition. (PIA-10)