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The Palau El Niño working group continues to monitor the climate as they begin to lay down the groundwork to respond to predicted El Niño event in fall 2014.
Ms Maria Ngemaes of the National Weather Service-Koror explained that Palau has long entered the beginning stages of an El Niño event. Signs of El Niño include intense typhoon activity from mid-September to early November 2013, rx weakening of trade winds, rise of air temperature and decrease of sea level, which all show impending change of climate towards El Niño.
Ngemaes further explained that similar period of active typhoon formation and strong westerly winds occurred in November and December 1996 as a contributor to the 1997 El Niño event.
However intensity of the upcoming El Nino according to the latest data may be moderate to strong. Temperature is expected to be hot and dry. Coral bleaching is also expected to occur. And drought conditions also may occur in late fall this year.
The projected event is expected to affect water supplies and resources, health, agriculture, fishing and the Republic’s economy.
