The meteorologically abnormal year of 2006 and natural disasters in the Philippines

Abstract

In the early part of 2006 the Philippines was hit by a La Niña event which brought floods, flashfloods and landslides. The most significant event was the February 2006 landslide that covered the whole community of Guinsaugon, in Southern Leyte, resulting in 154 deaths with 973 people still missing. Another rare event was the simultaneous presence of two tropical cyclones inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) in August - Tropical Depression Bopha and Tropical Storm Saomai - that enhanced the southwest monsoon. With the strong winds and high waves associated with the southwest monsoon, an oil tanker, the M/T Solar 1, sank, resulting in the worst oil spill the country has ever suffered. Lastly, with a weak El Niño phenomenon forming in the Pacific Ocean and affecting the Philippines, a destructive typhoon, Xangsane, made a multi-landfall before hitting Metropolitan Manila. This was followed by the landfall of three supertyphoons - Cimaron, Chebi and Durian - during the last quarter of the year, bringing tremendous destruction of life and property. The occurrence of these weather events are attributed to climate variability the effects of which were exacerbated by a range of factors that include inappropriate land use.