Barren slopes and dead trees normally submerged below the tree line, which marks the reservoir's normal capacity, become visible as water levels dropped to 151.45 masl in this photo taken on July 23, 2026. Gigie Cruz, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — Record-breaking temperatures and high heat index are possible because of the ongoing El Niño, a PAGASA official said on Tuesday.
Ana Liza Solis, Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section Chief of PAGASA, said that the warming of sea temperatures has been unprecedented.
"Kung titingnan po natin iyong tinatawag nating subsurface temperature, so iyong ilalim ng karagatan up to 300-meter depth, very unprecedented din po iyong warming niya," Solis told PTV's Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.
"So ibig sabihin talaga pong nagsu-sustain at posible pa pong mas lalakas or maging very strong itong El Niño sa mga susunod na panahon," she added.
READ: El Nino to be 'very strong', last until February, UN warns
Solis said this will result in warmer months, especially by next year.
"Possible iyong mga record-breaking temperatures po, iyong mga maximum daytime and nighttime temperature natin and also iyong mga matataas na alinsangan or heat index. So magiging maaaring widespread iyan lalong-lalo na po sa pagdating ng ating warm and dry season months next year," she said.
The PAGASA official said the country will experience a significant reduction in rainfall.
"Hopefully, nitong mga nagdaang habagat ay nalamanan na naman iyong ating mga dams ay maging sapat until next year, so especially po iyong Angat, if we could better manage iyong tubig dito," she said.
Solis said the El Niño phenomenon may persist until mid 2027.
READ: What a record-breaking El Nino could mean for the world
"Ibig sabihin, maaaring ito po'y magtutuloy-tuloy doon sa pagpasok ng warm and dry season months natin, iyong February, March, April, May dahil usually po kahit papatapos na po or humihina na iyong El Niño, ay mayroon pa rin po itong extension or iyong lag effect nito lalung-lalo na po dito sa ating lugar na kung saan puwedeng mag-extend or mag-prolong iyong significant reduction sa tubig-ulan at mag-prolong din po iyong ating tag-init," she said.
The reduction in rainfall is expected to start after the Habagat season.
"Puwedeng mag-start from 40% up to more than 80% na reduction sa susunod na mga buwan, actually by end of November," Solis said.
"So there will be areas, mga around 44 provinces po dry condition, iyong dry spell tinatawag, mga around 17 provinces and then iyong drought diyan po sa may parte ng Camarines Sur," she added.
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