Weather office forecasts rainy days

By MICHAEL LAI
RAIN is on the way for many provinces, according to the National Weather Service.
However, it will not be plentiful – only about half the normal fall expected at around this time of the year.
Nevertheless, the news will be a relief for many provinces, farmers and villagers with gardens experiencing near drought conditions in the country with land looking brown and the air dusty.
Weather service director Samuel Maiha said the monsoon season, the wet season from November to March, had arrived this week with some rain in Port Moresby and other area.
“The rainfall will continue in the morning hours of the week, it will be less than what we normally receive during December and January wet seasons,” Maiha told The National yesterday.
“Those places that normally receive (a lot of rain) during the wet season are receiving less than half of their normal rainfall due to the El Nino effect.
“Most of the country may receive 50 per cent less rainfall of the normal due to the El Nino effect,” he said.
El Nino is the movement of the warm sea surface temperatures away from the oceans of PNG towards the South American coast and replaced by drier conditions.
“There is a misconception by the public of El Nino.
“The public need to know that El Nino is an independent climate phenomenon or climate situation.
It affects both the dry and the wet seasons.
“It is an independent weather pattern apart from the two seasons we experience in the country.
“In PNG for instance, this wet season’s rainfall may be almost halved due to the current developing El Nino.
“This may result in very severe drought conditions from April to October next year.”