By Antonio Colina IV
DAVAO CITY – At least 17 provinces in Mindanao will be hit by a dry spell, and 11 by severe drought beginning the end of April 2019, according to the report of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
PAGASA said the dry spell would hit Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, North Cotabato, Saranga Agusal Del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Basilan, and Lanao del Sur.
The provinces that would be affected by drought are Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Misamis Occidental, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
The Mindanao provinces will be under normal rainfall condition next month. Except for Misamis Occidental and Dinagat Island provinces, the Mindanao regions will receive near-normal rainfall conditions by May.
According to PAGASA weather specialist Bema Tajones, the warning of a “dry spell” is issued when there are three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall and 21percent to 60 percent reduction from the average or two consecutive months of way below normal rainfall with more than 60 percent average reduction from the average rainfall.
She said “drought” warning is issued when there are three consecutive months of way below normal rainfall with greater than 60 percent reduction from the average rainfall or five consecutive months of below-normal rainfall with 21 percent to 60 percent reduction from the average rainfall.
By end of May, PAGASA said only the provinces of Misamis Occidental and Dinagat Islands in Mindanao would be suffering from drought.
Conditions in all provinces of Mindanao are expected to normalize beginning end of June although other provinces in Mindanao will continue to experience drought by June 2019, as the “weak or even moderate strength” El Niño is forecast to continue until October before it will weaken in the last quarter of this year, according to PAGASA.