Asia swelters in El Nino heatwave

Hot and dry conditions likely to last till June; farmers badly affected
Grace Chua & Alastair McIndoe in Manila, Straits Times 26 Feb 10;

FEBRUARY is on track to become Singapore's driest month, as well as one of the hottest on record.

Peninsular Malaysia is experiencing water shortages, from the Kedah rice fields in the north to parts of Johor in the south, where taps ran dry over the Chinese New Year.

China is reporting severe drought and a shortage of drinking water, affecting millions in the south-western part of the country.

And in the Philippines, the largest corn-producing region is withering under a blazing sun.

Weather experts say the region is once again grappling with the severe effects of the El Nino phenomenon, which sparked forest fires and the haze more than 10 years ago.

This time, the parched conditions are causing grief to farmers and raising concerns about water shortages.

The National Environment Agency's Meteorological Services Division said Singapore received 5.3mm of rainfall from Feb1 to 23. The lowest rainfall for any month was 8.4mm, recorded in February 1968 and February 2005.

The highest maximum temperature this month - 35 deg C - equalled last year's record high for the same month.

The hottest day in Singapore was on March26, 1998, when the mercury hit 36 deg C.

Dr Matthias Roth, a climate researcher at the National University of Singapore, noted that temperatures in Singapore have been rising since the 1960s because of global warming and increasing urbanisation, as buildings tend to trap heat.

In south-western China, more than seven million people lack adequate drinking water and millions of hectares of crops have been affected.

Yunnan province, a top producer of sugar cane and rubber, is experiencing its worst drought in six decades.

On Sunday, angry and desperate corn farmers in the Philippines' Isabela province, which has not had rain in three months, threw ruined crops at the provincial government headquarters in Iligan City.

They have yet to recover from the enormous losses they suffered because of the typhoons late last year, according to congressman Rafael Mariano.

Pagasa, the national weather bureau, expects El Nino to last until June, with temperatures set to hit 40 deg C soon in some parts of the country.

But its impact on the farm economy and dam levels will probably be felt well beyond mid-year, said Pagasa climatologist Edna Juanillo.

The agriculture department estimates that the damage to crops from El Nino could total 10 billion pesos (S$305 million).

In Manila, the authorities are already urging the city's 12 million residents to conserve water, as water companies scramble to repair leaking pipes.

'It may well come to rationing because people don't recognise the need to conserve until it is too late,' said Ms Juanillo.

The El Nino phenomenon, which occurs every two to seven years, is caused by the abnormal warming of the sea surface in the Pacific Ocean.

In South-east Asia, the weather becomes hotter and drier than usual. Bush and forest fires are common.

What's El Nino?

THE El Nino weather phenomenon occurs every two to seven years and is caused by the abnormal warming of the sea surface in the Pacific Ocean.

A strong El Nino is associated with drought and floods in different parts of the world. In South-east Asia, it brings hotter weather than usual during the dry season.

The last major El Nino took place in 1998, causing forest fires in Indonesia and Malaysia, blanketing the region in haze.

Drought in China; millions at risk
Crops hit and it may have to turn to imports
Straits Times 26 Feb 10;

BEIJING: A severe drought in south-western China has left more than seven million people without adequate drinking water and hit hectares of crops there.

It is the worst dry spell in 60 years for Yunnan province, the country's second-largest producer of sugar cane and rubber.

The local agricultural bureau said that the drought, which began late last year, has affected a total of 2.55 million ha of crops, including wheat and vegetables, accounting for 85 per cent of the province's total growing area.

Farmers have almost completed harvesting sugar cane and will start tapping rubber trees in April.

Lower Chinese output could force China, a major rubber consumer, to import more.

Also badly hit is the neighbouring province of Guizhou, whose reservoirs and hydro-power generated electricity supplies are at risk.

The drought has also affected the top sugar producing region of Guangxi.

That could cut China's production to only 11 million tonnes in the 12 months to September, 12 per cent lower than the previous year, and not enough to meet the country's demand, according to the China Sugar Association.

Nearly six million people and 3.6 million head of livestock are facing drinking water shortages in Yunnan.

If the drought continues, the number of people without sufficient drinking water will rise to 7.92 million next month, Xinhua news agency cited Yunnan Governor Qin Guangrong as saying.

In addition, more crop land will be affected and grain production will be greatly reduced.

On Tuesday, Mr Qin said the risk of forest fires would increase as the drought persisted.

Local fire control officials say that at least 84 forest fires have been reported in the province since November, up 611 per cent from the same period the previous year.

Xinhua said 21 Chinese boats had been grounded and crews rescued on the Lancang-Mekong River, which is at its lowest level in 50 years.

The local authorities have stopped issuing permits to vessels to cross the border because the river is flowing at only half the normal level.

XINHUA, REUTERS


No respite from hot spell in Malaysia
Straits Times 26 Feb 10;

KUALA LUMPUR: People from Kedah to Johor are sweltering under a weeks-long heatwave that is expected to continue for a while more.

Padi farmers in Kedah, especially those without their own source of water, have been affected as the dry spell has caused water levels to fall.

In some parts of Johor, taps ran dry over the Chinese New Year holiday because of a water rationing exercise that affected more than 20,000 residents, according to local media reports.

The hot spell has seen temperatures hovering well above 30 deg C, with Chuping in Perlis recording 36.7 deg C, reported the New Straits Times.

Dams across the country have also reported a drop in water levels and officials have urged residents to save water.

The director of the Water Resources Research Centre at the National Hydraulic Research Institute, Mr Ahmad Jamalluddin Shaban, advised home and building owners and hospitals to use rainwater to water their plants, wash cars and flush toilets.

'People should find alternatives so as not to waste water,' he said.

The Drainage and Irrigation Department said it was monitoring the water levels in rivers.

In Indonesia, a prolonged drought in East Nusa Tenggara province has forced some farmers there to stop planting rice crops due to diminished water supplies, the Jakarta Post reported yesterday.