MANILA, Philippines – The weather bureau announced on Monday, January 6, that La Niña is already present in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said periods of cooler than average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) that started in September 2024 eventually reached the La Niña threshold in December 2024.
La Niña is a weather phenomenon “characterized by unusually cooler than average SSTs in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.”
PAGASA expects La Niña to continue at least until the first quarter of 2025.
As a result, above-normal rainfall is expected in the Philippines from January to March. The weather bureau also warned the public that there is an “increased chance of tropical cyclone activity within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) during the period.”
PAGASA earlier estimated that two to eight tropical cyclones could form within or enter PAR from January to June:
In mid-2024, El Niño ended and there was a shift to El Niño Southern Oscillation or ENSO-neutral conditions.
El Niño, La Niña, and neutral are the three phases of ENSO, which the World Meteorological Organization defines as “a recurring natural phenomenon characterized by fluctuating ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, coupled with changes in the atmosphere.” – Rappler.com
