- New study says more hazardous tropical cyclones will hit the Philippines
- The northern island of Luzon was identified as the site to be frequently affected
- The project is a collaboration between researchers at the University of Sheffield, PAGASA and OML Center
According to a new study released by the University of Sheffield, more hazardous tropical cyclones (above 150 kilometers per hour) will hit the Philippines with the northern island of Luzon to be frequently affected.
An article written by Kristine Daguno-Bersamina on Philippine Star stated that as tropical cyclones in the Philippines are becoming more extreme, the study stressed that this will cause greater amounts of devastation and loss of life.
The recent study showed analysis in the last two decades wherein it was found that there has been a slight decrease in the number of smaller cyclones (above 118 kilometers per hour) that hit the country. This reportedly means that more Filipinos are at risk since more hazardous tropical cyclones were shown to be on the rise.
The project, which is a collaboration between researchers at the University of Sheffield, the state weather bureau (PAGASA), the Oscar Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management (OML Center), aims to help the country better adapt and become more resilient to extreme weather events and challenges of climate change.
“Growing up in the Philippines myself, I understand the catastrophic loss of life and damage to property that extreme weather can cause,” Monica Ortiz from the Department of Geography and Scholar in the Grantham Center for Sustainable Futures was quoted saying.
Ortiz added that while previous research suggested the increase in sea-surface temperatures as the reason for the surge in the number of intense tropical cyclones, the new study remains an active part of research on extreme climate events.
“By analyzing this data from the past up to the present, we can better adapt to further climate change and prepare for future disasters,” Ortiz said.
Meanwhile, the University of Sheffield noted that drawing conclusions that will influence tropical cyclone projections is still too early.
Based on the United Nations University (UNU) World Risk Report 2014, the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone nations in the world.
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