Is climate change changing rainfall patterns in PH?

As more rains from the enhanced southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” are expected to drench several parts of the Philippines, the chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said these persistent downpours may be linked to climate change, which is causing warmer seas and heavier rainfall.

- By ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ

PAGASA Administrator Dr. Nathaniel Servando explained on Wednesday, July 23, that climate change is causing global temperatures to rise, a trend that is also reflected in local temperature records.

He said average air temperatures in the Philippines have been steadily increasing alongside this global pattern, noting that rising temperatures also cause sea surface temperatures to climb.

“We know that when the temperature of our oceans is high, it produces more water vapor, which fuels tropical cyclones to become more intense. Of course, more water vapor means we will experience heavier rainfall when there is climate change or global warming,” Servando explained in Filipino.