Lando Versus El Nino

LANDO VERSUS EL NIÑO

By Anton Antonio

October 20, 2015

“Lando versus El Niño” sounds like a world class boxing match, doesn’t it?  But it really isn’t what you think.  Lando and El Niño are hardly boxers’ names and this is not a sports spectacle.  These are two different weather systems.  El Niño is a regularly-recurring weather phenomenon while Lando is a typhoon with an international name Koppu.

El Niño is an irregularly occurring and complex series of climatic changes affecting the equatorial Pacific region and beyond every few years, characterized by the appearance of unusually warm, nutrient-poor water off northern Peru and Ecuador, typically in late December.  On the other hand, “a typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops in the western part of the North Pacific Ocean between 180 degrees East.  This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for almost one-third of the world’s annual tropical cyclones.  Within the northwestern Pacific there are no official typhoon seasons as tropical cyclones form throughout the year.  Like any tropical cyclone, there are six main requirements for typhoon formation and development: (1) sufficiently warm sea surface temperatures, (2) atmospheric instability, (3) high humidity I the lower to middle levels of the troposphere, (4) enough Coriolis force to develop a low pressure center, (5) a pre-existing low level focus or disturbance, and (6) low vertical wind shear.  The majority of storms form between June and November while tropical cyclone formation is at a minimum between December and May.  On average, the northwestern Pacific features the most numerous and intense tropical cyclones globally.  Like other basins, they are steered by the subtropical ridge towards the west or northwest, with some systems recurving near the east of Japan.  The Philippines receive the brunt of the landfalls, with China and Japan being impacted slightly less.  Some of the deadliest typhoons in history have struck China.  Southern China has the longest record of typhoon impacts for the region, with a thousand-year sample via documents within their archives.  Taiwan has received the wettest known typhoons on record for the north Pacific tropical cyclone basin.” (Wikipedia)

From the foregoing discussion it is apparent that these two weather systems are different.  Their diversity, however, can also be complimentary.  Please read the following researched material…

“TYPHOON LANDO BRINGS NEEDED WATER TO LUZON DAMS…

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Lando (international Codename Koppu) has supplied much needed water to several Luzon dams, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.  In fact, at least 3 dams in Luzon have already opened gates to release water supplied by the weaker but slow-moving typhoon which is still affecting provinces in Northern Luzon and Central Luzon.  The Ambuklao and Binga dams in Benguet each have two gates opened at I meter, PAGASA said in its 10an dams water level update on Monday, October 19.  Meantime, the reservoir water level if Magat Dam has already reached 193.83 meters or 0.83 meters over the 193-meter spilling level.  Seven gates are opened at 20 meters to release water.  National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Alexander Pama said in a press briefing Monday that Government is closely monitoring Angat Dam in Bulacan and Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija.  Referring to dams that have released water, Pama explained: “Ang good news po nito wala naman pong namimiligro… Wala naman pong dapat ikabahala rito at binigay po natin yung mga ulat sa mga dadaanan.”  (The good news here is that there is no risk… There is nothing to worry about, and we relay the news to areas where the released water will spill into.)” --- Rappler.com

From the preceding news report, it is obvious that the anticipated water crisis brought about by an extended El Niño phenomenon that is expected to occur in the last quarter of this year to the first quarter of next year has somehow been solved.  The water crisis should be averted by the large volume of rain that Typhoon Lando brought.  The Filipino, being an avid boxing fan, may be a little bit disappointed but this world-class boxing match may prove to be favourable to us anyway: Lando versus El Niño.

Thoughts to promote positive action…

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REFERENCE:

Rappler.com, (2015). “Typhoon Lando Brings Needed Water to Luzon Dams”. Retrieved on October 20, 2015 from http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/109859-typhoon-lando-supplies-water-luzon-dams?utm_content=buffera0e2e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer