Heavy rain normal for NGI at this time: NWS

By MICHAEL LAI
IT is normal for heavy rain in the New Guinea Island region at this time of the year as in the National Weather Service’s record, says assistant director Jimmy Gomoga.
Gomoga said all NGI, Western and West Sepik were expected to receive 20 to 30 per cent above normal rainfall while southern parts of Papua New Guinea, including the Highlands, would receive less rainfall.
“Based on our data, NGI, Western and West Sepik receive above normal rainfall during weak El Nino conditions. It may continue all of this week and into March,” Gomoga said.
He told The National that wet season was expected to continue until the end of May but strong winds would ease next month.
Gomoga said the country was having weak El Nino conditions where such conditions were predictable.
El Nino is a part of a routine climate pattern that occurs when sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean rise to above normal levels for an extended period of time.
The opposite of El Niño, La Niña, is when sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific drop to lower than normal levels.
“However, the weather office forecasts that there was a 50 per cent chance of Papua New Guinea going into El Nino conditions by the onset of the dry season around at the end of April or May,” Gomoga said.
He said the country can expect more rainfall next month.
“Warning is that look out for weather warnings of heavy rain, flood and strong winds. Should we go into El Nino conditions by the onset of the dry season, then we will see much dry conditions over Bougainville, Milne Bay, Highlands provinces and some parts of these provinces may experience drought starting in May,” Gomoga said.