Hailstorm hits parts of Abra; tornado reported in Maguindanao del Norte

Ice pellets fell in some areas in Abra, while a tornado ripped through a village in Maguindanao del Norte even as the country is still in the dry season, according to Chino Gaston’s "24 Oras" report on Wednesday.

In Maguindanao del Norte, a tornado wrecked a number of boats and caused trees to fall, killing animals.

The local government immediately provided assistance to the affected residents.

“Yung buhawi, yung hailstorm ay nangangaling sa iisang klaseng ulap, severe thunderstorm. Kaya po naitatanong nila kung abnormal na ba kasi noon kasi wala pa tayong technology na meron tayo ngayon. Ngayon sa Facebook pwede na marecord at lahat tayo halos may Facebook accounts so nakikita agad ang mga nangyayari sa paligid,” PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said.

(The tornado and the hailstorm come from the same type of cloud: a severe thunderstorm. That's why they ask if it was abnormal because, back then, we didn't have the technology that we have today. Now on Facebook, it can be recorded, and almost all of us have Facebook accounts, so we can immediately see what is happening around us.)

Heavy rains were also experienced in Catanduanes, Bohol, and Sarangani, causing flash floods in several areas.

PAGASA said heavy rains in Mindanao, Visayas, and Bicol Region were due to the low pressure area.

According to the weather bureau, it cannot be denied that there are abnormal weather patterns currently being experienced in the country.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the world should prepare for the development of El Niño, which is increasingly developing this year.

The United Nations (UN) specialized agency said this would have the opposite impacts on weather and climate patterns in many regions of the world as the long-running La Niña and would likely fuel higher global temperatures.

PAGASA earlier issued an El Niño alert after forecasts showed that the phenomenon may emerge in the next three months at 80% probability and may last until the first quarter of next year.

Last month, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. called for the creation of a team that would focus on mitigating the effects of the El Niño phenomenon. —Richa Noriega/VBL, GMA Integrated News