Philippines braces for ‘severe’ drought after fewest major storms for 25 years in 2023

So far this year, only 10 major storms have made landfall or come close, the lowest number since 1998. The Philippines is usually hit by around 20
Government officials now expect 77 per cent of the country’s provinces to be in drought by the end of May, as a consequence of the El Nino phenomenon

The Philippines

Agence France-Presse

Published: 1:02pm, 13 Dec 2023

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The Philippines has so far endured fewer storms in 2023 than in any of the past 25 years and now faces potentially the worst drought in decades, officials said.

The tropical archipelago nation – which is ranked among the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change – is usually affected by around 20 major storms a year.

So far this year, only 10 have made landfall or come close, the lowest number since 1998 when 11 were recorded, said Ana Solis, chief climatologist at the state weather forecaster, on Tuesday.

People make their way through a flood in Valenzuela City, Metro Manila, in July as a result of Typhoon Doksuri. The Philippines has been affected by far fewer major storms this year than is typical. Photo: EPA-EFE

With less than three weeks of the year left, “it looks like the record will be beaten”, Solis said, adding that climate change was “probably” a factor.

The Philippines began keeping weather records in 1948, Solis said.

As a consequence of the weather phenomenon known as El Nino, the Philippines was also likely to experience “moderate to severe drought conditions” from February to May 2024, the government’s Science and Technology Department Secretary Renato Solidum told reporters.

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That would be comparable to the drought during the 1997-1998 El Nino, which was the country’s worst-ever dry spell.

El Nino was already under way, bringing drier conditions to some areas of the country where there had been up to an 80 per cent reduction in rainfall, Solidum said.

Solidum said 77 per cent of the country’s provinces were expected to be in drought by the end of May.

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He urged government agencies to begin preparing to ensure enough water, food and electricity would be available.

“We need to plan ahead and make it fast,” Solidum said.

Temperatures in the capital Manila could reach up to 38.3 degrees Celsius (100.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in April and May – comparable to 1998 figures, he said.

Northern areas of the main island of Luzon could hit 41 degrees.