The series of storms that devastated Luzon in 2009 and the menacing persistence of El Niño have convinced state experts at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) that the country will be faced by abnormal climate and harsher weather disturbances this year.

"It has been very difficult for us to expect a normal climate outlook for (this) year because of glaring climate variabilities and abnormal trends," Dr. Susan Espinueva, chief of PAGASA Hydrometeorological Division, said.

"We began to observe this two or three years back when we realize that these abnormal trends in climate was the impacts of climate change and variability," she noted.

The top hydrologist noted that El Niño cycle used to happen after four to seven years, instead of every other year, which began to occur since 2007.

Espinueva also expressed concern that the dry spell conditions due to El Niño in Capiz, Masbate, Northern Samar, and Occidental Mindoro since September hinted an exact opposite climate to be experienced all throughout the country come second half of 2010.

She also explained that the phenomena is followed by La Niña that dramatically increases rainfall.

"With or without El Niño, we recorded a trend wherein the accumulated amount of rainfall in a year stays the same annually. It (the figure) does not vary, which means that of we have less rainfall for the first half, we will more rainfall in the second half of 2010," she said.

"So if we have drought conditions this summer, we will have wetter rainy season," she said, adding that the country may even have strong storms and unusually erratic typhoons similar to storm "Ondoy" and typhoon "Pepeng" last year.

PAGASA Climatology and Hydrometeorology Division chief Dr. Flaviana Hilario likened the climate outlook this year to what happened in 2007 when typhoon "Marce" left several provinces in ruins in August immediately after the drought conditions were severely felt from June to July.

Earlier, Hilario said that the El Niño condition has persisted in the equatorial Pacific since June last year and will peak on January to March, which will extend its effects to five more provinces in Mindanao during the first quarter of 2010.