MANILA – Some provinces are likely to experience drought in December due to El Niño, the weather bureau warned Thursday.
Batangas, Cavite and Oriental Mindoro are forecast to experience drought, while areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region such as Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao are likely to experience dry spells.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather specialist Joey Figuracion said other areas could also experience dry spells -- Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Aurora and Palawan.
In a televised briefing, Figuracion said areas experiencing drought receive below-normal rainfall for five consecutive months, or way below-normal rainfall for three months.
"When we say way below normal, that means there's a 40 percent reduction in rainfall," he said.
Figuracion also cited that PAGASA was expecting higher temperature of up to 39 degrees Celsius in the country next month.
"This December will be warmer than normal. But we also expect cold surges due to 'amihan' season," he continued.
No weather disturbance was seen to enter or develop in the country for the next two weeks.
However, the country could still have one to two tropical cylones before the yearend, according to Figuracion. (PNA)
