Moresby expects to sizzle

By WANPIS AKO
PORT Moresby will stew in 37 degree Celsius temperatures or higher if the Typhoon Bopha wind system continues in the Philippines, the National Weather Service (NWS) said yesterday.
“Subsequently, the wind system has dragged almost all the moisture over the city towards the island, leaving it to experience hot, dry air,” assistant director Jimmy Gomoga said.
Gomoga said the high temperatures were because the southern hemisphere was experiencing summer, the normal northwest monsoon (wet) season in Port Moresby had been delayed in mid-November and the Typhoon Bopha system, which was blowing at 90 knots compared to normal strong winds of 33 knots.
 “The heat from the sun here has been measured at 33 in the past few days. If the wind does not blow towards the north of the island, we will experience up to 37 degrees Celsius or more,” he said.
He said the summer season in Australia would affect the city’s weather pattern.
“Australia is mostly desert and consequently, almost all the moisture over the nation’s capital has been dragged towards it and we are experiencing hot, dry air.
“It is better to walk around the city at nine o’clock in the morning and not at around two or three in the afternoon when the temperature reaches its peak,” he said.
The NWS has issued a strong wind warning for the people living along Coral Sea areas such as Milne Bay, Central, Western and Gulf provinces.
Its duration is for 24-48 hours (Wednesday-Thursday).