Change in Wind Patterns to Worsen Oil Spill

ILOILO – The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said there is a need to fast track the MT Solar 1 oil spill cleanup before a typhoon affects Visayas in the coming weeks or before the wind pattern reverses in November.

PAGASA officer-in-charge Dr. Prisco Nilo said that the entry of a typhoon that could affect Guimaras would accelerate the transport of oil spill to the north. Nilo also said that if a typhoon would directly pass the site of the oil spill, the ocean current will cause the oil to spill in different directions. Nilo said the oil spill cleanup must be fast tracked before the wind pattern reverses in November which could possibly “transport” the oil spill in the vicinity of the Visayas.

He added that from the current wind pattern from southwest to the northeast, the wind pattern will completely reverse, resulting to the transport of the spilled oil towards Mindanao and Southern Visayas area this November up to around February or early March.

Panay News, Sunday, September 10, 2006