PAG-ASA: Expect cold months ahead

CEBU - If you plan to buy a jacket, go ahead since you’ll be using that for many months.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), this has been the first time that Cebu and other parts of the Philippines have experienced this kind of weather.

Ella Comahig of PAG-ASA explained that the light rain and cold weather we are experiencing since early December is due to the tail end of the cold front.

She, however, said that since it did not stop as the New Year came, they suspect that this is an effect of global warming.

Comahig added that ice found in Siberia has melted due to global warming and the cold wind is pushed by the winds in the Pacific Ocean.

Based PAG-ASA’s satellite readings, according to Comahig, the cold front is very thick and we may be experiencing this kind of weather until April.

Earlier PAG-ASA predicted that this weather would only be felt in Luzon, but now it has reached Visayas and Mindanao.

Cumahig added that this weather is also the cause of big waves in the seas.

Big Waves In Ginatlan

Close to 30 houses in the southern town of Ginatilan were washed away by big waves Tuesday night.

The damage was estimated to have reached about a million pesos and affected five barangays of the town.

Worst hit was barangay Looc where 14 houses were either washed away or damaged while seven houses were affected in barangay Guiwanon.

In barangay Poblacion five houses were affected while one each was hit in barangays San Roque and Palanas.

PO1 Lyle Flores of the Ginatilan police said that the big waves hit Tuesday midnight.

Luckily the people were able to leave their houses before they were washed away. Most of the evacuees are now staying at their barangay halls.

Flores added that some roads were also damaged by the huge waves.

“Amo nalang gi-ingnan ang mga tao nga pagbantay-bantay sa ilang mga butang para siguro nga wala ju’y makawatan ug kung naa gani silay problema amu silang gitagaan sa among hotline ug pwede ra sila makatawag. Si Mayor sad murag nagplanu to nga mubista sa mga pamilya nga apektado karong gabii,” Flores said.

The FREEMAN tried to reach Mayor Dean Cinco at his office, but no one answered. — AJ de la Torre and Christopher Gabriel Bonjoc/NLQ(THE FREEMAN)