Wet Christmas for city

National, Normal
Source:

The National – Monday, December 20, 2010

By ALISON ANIS
PORT Moresby city residents are in for a wet festive season this Christmas weekend  and New Year, acting assistant director climate and special services with the National Weather Services, Kasis Inape, said this when giving current status and outlook for December to February last week.
Inape said wet weather conditions were expected for Port Moresby and other parts of the southern region including Misima in Milne Bay.
“The rainfall forecast for the coming three months (December to February) is expected to be above normal for the southern coastal region including Port Moresby,” he said.
He added that forecast for New Guinea Islands was expected at below normal average rainfall.
Inape said the total rainfall recorded to the last seven days was 57.4mm with the highest rainfall recorded at 41.8mm last Tuesday .
Reports by NWS recorded no strong wind warnings with forecasted winds mostly at 10-15 knots.
Inape said this was the time of the year that high humidity was expected.
“At this time, the sun is directly overhead and sun’s rays are directed straight at us with maximum exposure to the sunlight and, therefore, we feel the impact straight away,” he said.
He said “when the sun was further away from us, we do not feel such a heat”.
“We quickly complain of heat from the sun as there are no clouds in the sky to shield us from the harmful rays.”
Inape added that PNG was a member of the AusAID funded Pacific Islands climate prediction project (PI-CPP).
Under the PI-CPP, 15- member countries in the Pacific are requested each month to discuss the climate in their respective countries during the monthly tele-conferences.
He said the forum was important as it assisted people better understand  the climate and weather patterns.