What are the effects of Super El Niño in the country?

The country is preparing for a possible Super El Niño, which may bring drier than usual conditions in the easter part of the country and above normal rainfall events in the western part of the country.

“So far po, ‘pag ganito 'yung pinakamalakas talaga na El Niño, ang pinaka-impact po niyan, especially sa may eastern section po ng bansa po natin, medyo drier than usual po, or below normal 'yung rainfall na naranasan,” said PAGASA weather specialist Charmagne Varilla in a Dobol B TV Interview on Thursday.

(So far, as regards the strongest El Niño, most of its impact will be felt especially in the eastern section of our country, where it will be a bit drier than usual, and rainfall, below normal.)

“Ang hindi naman po maganda na maging impact dito sa western section ng bansa po natin, dahil ‘pag nasabay po ‘yan sa Habagat season, which is between June or start ng tag-ulan, ay mas ina-exacerbate or mas pinakalakas po niya 'yung Habagat,” she added.

(The negative impact on the western section of our country, because as it coincides with the Habagat season, which is between June or the start of the rainy season, it exacerbates or intensifies the Habagat even more.)

According to Varilla, storms may reach typhoon to super typhoon category.

“Medyo kaunti lang than usual 'yung ating nararanasan na mga bagyo, pero ‘pag nag-landfall po siya, nasa matataas po talaga na category. So typhoon to super typhoon,” she said.

(We are experiencing fewer typhoons than usual, but when they make landfall, they will be in higher categories. Typhoon to super typhoon.)

To recall, PAGASA said moderate to strong El Niño conditions are likely during the September–October–November season. However, it is not ruling out the possibility of a strong to very strong El Niño by October–November–December or November–December–January.

As the weather conditions transition from rainy to dry season at the end of the year, Varilla said water reserves may be lesser.

“Baka mas konti ‘yung maging reserve ng katubigan. Especially ‘yung mga may climate type 1, which is usually nasa western section ng bansa po natin. Kasi starting pa lang ng November ay medyo pakaunti na talaga ‘yung mga pag-ulan po diyan,” she said.

(There will probably be less water reserves. Especially those areas with climate type 1, which are usually in the western section of our country. Starting November, there will be less rainfall in these areas.)

Varilla said below normal rainfall conditions are seen in BARMM and the Caraga Region in August, while heavy rainfall in northern and central Luzon.

“Pagsapit ng August, du’n na natin talaga nakikita ‘yung medyo pakaunti na, especially below normal na ‘yung mga pag-ulan sa may bahagi ng BARMM, especially sa BARMM at sa Caraga.

And in some parts, especially sa northern and central Luzon, dahil din ine-expect natin pagpasok ng Habagat, sasabayin po ‘yan ng malalakas na mga pag-ulan.”

(By August, we will see relatively little, especially below normal, rainfall in parts of BARMM and Caraga. While in other parts, especially in northern and central Luzon, as we expect the entry of the Southwest Monsoon, it will be accompanied by heavy rains.)

Lower water levels

Many dams in Luzon continue to experience low water levels amid the increasing heat.

According to PAGASA’s monitoring on Thursday, water levels in several dams dropped to the following:

• Angat Dam - 178.85 m
• Ipo Dam - 100.06 m
• La Mesa - 79.87 m
• Ambuklao - 189.33 M
• Binga - 567.03 M
• San Roque - 228.81 M
• Pantabangan - 189.33 M
• Caliraya - 285.70 M

Meanwhile in Visayas, eight out of 13 dams were under critical low water level, according to the National Irrigation Administration Region 6:

• Sta. Barbara Diversion Dam
• Barotac Viejo River Irrigation System
• Jalaur Ris Diversion Dam
• Sibalom Diversion Dam
• Tipuluan Dam
• Nasuli Dam
• Panakuyan Ris
• Mambusao Ris Dam

The National Irrigation Administration Region 6 said that extreme heat causes water to quickly dry up in dams and irrigation systems, according to an interview with GMA Super Radyo Iloilo.

Further, water supply is affected, especially in natural canals where water is easily absorbed by soil as compared to concrete irrigation canals. — LA, GMA News