El Niño-affected areas at danger for dry periods and droughts

During a press conference, Ana Liza Solis, the Chief of the Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), stated that a potential dry spell may affect Metro Manila and 31 other locations, most of which are in the Luzon region.

These places are Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan, Spratly Islands, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.

The Visayas' four provinces might possibly go through a dry spell during that time. These include Leyte, Antique, Guimaras, and Iloilo. A dry period, according to Pagasa, is three consecutive months with rainfall that is lower than normal.

El Niño is expected to cause a 21-60% reduction in average rainfall in various parts of the Philippines. In Camarines Norte and Southern Leyte, drought is expected, resulting in over 60% reduction. Meanwhile, 28 areas are predicted to experience dry conditions by year-end, with dry spells and droughts occurring in various regions.