Northern part of country set for serious soaking

By NAOMI WASE
THE northern part of the country, especially New Guinea Islands, should be expecting its share of rainfall at this time, according to National Weather Service assistant director Jimmy Gomoga.
Gomoga said this month was the peak period of the wet season and more rainfall was expected in the new few weeks.
“We are having a substantial amount of rainfall in southern parts of the country as well as the Highlands and as we go towards April, the systems will be eventually shifting towards the north,” he told The National.
He said New Guinea Islands should be expecting more rainfall as the system was shifting towards the northern hemisphere.
Gomoga said April-May was the transitional period.
“We are still in the tropical cyclone season and we have been monitoring the tropical areas.”
He said they had issued flood warnings to Milne Bay and Northern and the islands yesterday morning because of the heavy rainfall at those areas.
Meanwhile, Gomoga said the dry season, which is expected to start around June and July, was predicted to be drier than normally.
Gomoga said they were beginning to note that there might be El Nino situation.
“By June and July, we should be able to determine whether we are going to the El Nino situation and when that happens, then we are actually predicting that the coming dry season will be drier than normal,” Gomoga said.
He said that meant that some parts of the country would be experiencing droughts.
Gomoga urged the public to pay attention to warnings.