The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Wednesday that due to El Nino phenomenon in the past four to five months, Nueva Ecija and Cavite experienced drought while 25 provinces, including Manila, have experienced dry spells.

El Nino is a weather phenomenon that “increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions, which could bring negative impacts to some areas of the country”, Pagasa said on their website.

In a phone interview with The Daily Manila Shimbun, Pagasa Assistant Weather Services Chief Ana Liza Solis said Cavite and Nueva Ecija experienced lesser rainfall by up to 60 percent.

“As of December 17, Nueva Ecija and Cavite had a 21 to 60 percent reduction in rainfall in the past four or five months,” Solis said.

Manila and 24 other provinces in Luzon as well as one province in Visayas and two in Mindanao have experienced dry spells, she added.

She said Manila will continue to experience dry spells until April.

According to Solis, by the end of April next year, the peak of El Nino, 63 provinces will experience “meteorological drought” and the country experience warmer temperatures in April, May, and June.

This was lower than the earlier forecasted number of provinces that will have drought which is 65, she said.

Pagasa defines a dry spell as “two consecutive months of way below normal (more than 60 percent reduction from average) rainfall conditions”.

Drought is defined as “three consecutive months of way below normal or five consecutive months of below normal (21 to 60 percent reduction from average) rainfall condition”. Jaspearl Tan/DMS