The presence of the La Nina phenomenon is predicted to increase the amount of rainfall in the Sultanate over the coming months, meteorological officer Nadiahtul ‘Afifah binti Haji Mohd Yasin said.
She said the rainfall forecast for this month is around 290-330 millimetres (mm), while in July it could reach up to 340mm or more, and in August it could reach 320mm or more.
Nadiahtul ‘Afifah said this during the 23rd National Weather Briefing conducted by the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department (BDMD) at the Information Department auditorium for 122 representatives from government agencies and the private sector as well as the public.
The meteorological officer’s briefing focused on the southwest monsoon and intermonsoon.
During the southwest monsoon, which began in early June, the atmospheric conditions over the country tend to be quite stable with a reduction in localised thundershowers and winds blowing from the southwest.
The Southwest monsoon is also synonymous with the season of active development of tropical storm and typhoon systems over the northwest Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. The influence of tropical storm or typhoon systems in the nearby region may bring about the formation of squall line phenomena which will cause the country to experience unsettled weather conditions with thunderstorms and occasional gusty winds, she said.
Meanwhile, the inter-monsoon period, expected to begin in October, will persist until the end of November where local wind effects will play an important role in governing the daily weather. The weather tends to be fair in the morning and isolated coastal showers occurring around midday.
“Taking into account the latest seasonal climate forecasts issued by the global climate centres, the La Nina phenomenon is expected to gradually develop over the Pacific Ocean around July to September,” she added.
The weather briefing is one of the department’s initiatives to engage with different user groups, from first and safety responders, economic and industry groups, construction companies, insurance companies and small and medium enterprises as well as the media.
The briefing’s goal is to raise awareness on the country’s current weather conditions to facilitate preparedness in the planning while taking preliminary actions. – Lyna Mohamad
