El Niño may worsen...

Early termination of the northeast monsoon or “amihan” this year and the possible delay in the onset of the 2019 rainy season due to El Niño mean the country is facing prolonged dryness, she said.

PAGASA expects such dryness to begin easing around May, forecasting near-normal rainfall then in most parts of Northern Luzon and Mindanao.

Near-normal rainfall is possible in most parts of the Visayas and Mindanao this June, PAGASA also said.

It also forecasted that most parts of the country experienced way-below to below-normal rainfall conditions from March 1 to 20 this year.

PAGASA also said temperature during such period was generally near-average, reaching slightly aboveaverage level in Mindanao and slightly below-average level in some areas of Luzon.

PAGASA announced on March 22 the termination of “amihan” that brings cool winds to the country every year. The end of “amihan” signaled the start of the dry season's peak — the period commonly called "summer."

Authorities have advised people to avoid direct exposure to the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., drink more water, and wear light clothing to protect them from ailments due to excessive heat.

Headaches and dizziness are some heat-related ailments people can experience, she added.

Irrigation water

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has assured irrigation water supply to rice lands in Bulacan and some parts of Pampanga until May 15.

Eliseo Bitangcol, press relation officer of NIA-Central Luzon, said there is