Changing Weather Patterns
The year 2010 has been a year of unpredictable weather. Earlier in the yearfarmers were unable to plant their rice crop due to a prolonged drought. Flowers which normally bloom in may and June were blooming in February, and when it came to harvesting the latest crop, farmers had to contend with rice fields that remained flooded, and extensive areas where the crop had been flattened by thewind.
Once again the rain has come, but this time in unprecedented quantities. Some areas of Kalibo have been flooded making travelling anywhere extremely difficult. Some business establishments, which have only just recovered after typhoon Frank, have been flooded once more causing damage to stock and closure of the premisesto customers. Farmers too are frustrated because they once more face a delay in the planting of their next crop.
It is not only the Philippines which is currently experiencing unusual weather patterns There is flooding in Australia too and mud slides in South America, whilst transportation systems in England and across the Europe have been brought to a standstill by unprecedented amounts of snow. Fires are also raging out of control in Israel threatening many lives.
Earlier this year there were earthquakes in Haiti followed by a tsunami,a volcanic eruption in Indonesia, wild fires raging across large areas of Russia due to record high temperatures, and a drought in Thailand which prompted the government there to ban the exporting of rice.
As a consequence of global warming the temperature of our oceans is on the rise, and this year the warm ocean currents of La Nina have moved further South.
Weather patterns have become more intense as a consequence, with temperature rises in our oceans making typhoons more frequent and more intense.
Nor is our weather likely to improve in the foreseeable future as global temperat- ures continue to increase, and with the immanent alignment of all of the planets in our solar system due on December 21st 2012.
Some things we cannot change, and the only option left open to us is to adapt and to prepare ourselves as best we can. Maintaining and upgrading our current drainage system would be a good start./TE
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