The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Monday there was nothing “unusual” about four tropical cyclones passing through the country in a month as this phenomenon already happened before.
PAGASA made this statement in response to the recent observation of US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Juanito Galang, the agency’s weather division chief, said the occurrence of four cyclones was already experienced by the country in 2020, and such could be attributed to the La Niña phenomenon.
“The four tropical cyclones in our Philippine area of responsibility [are] due to the La Niña-like condition,” Galang said.
“That also happened four years ago… in 2020. Same set of names… That was also La Niña. So, I think [some may] call it unusual, but it already happened before,” he noted.
NASA shared a Nov. 11 satellite of storms Yinxing (Marce), Toraji (Nika), Usagi (Ofel) and Man-Yi (Pepito) either approaching the Philippines or had already passed over the archipelago at that time.
“It was the first time since records began in 1951 that so many storms co-existed in the Pacific basin in November,” it said, quoting the Japan Meteorological Agency.
