PAGASA announces that areas frequently hit by lightning during the rainy season can now be avoided.
Recently, two individuals died in separate lightning strike incidents in Ilocos Sur and Eastern Samar.
A farmer was killed by lightning in Santa Rosario, Sigay, Ilocos Sur on Monday, June 10.
Meanwhile, eight people were also struck by lightning in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, resulting in one death and seven injuries.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), people can avoid areas frequently hit by lightning.
This advice coincides with Typhoon and Flood Awareness Week, during which PAGASA showcased its enhanced innovations.
Apart from PAGASA’s social media pages, the public can now access weather updates for their regions through the agency’s new website.
The PAGASA Regional Services Division features provincial-level weather forecasts for the next five days, Thunderstorm Advisories, Heavy Rainfall Warnings, and Special Weather Forecasts.
The website, PANaHON, has an interactive map that provides real-time weather data such as lightning density in a specific area, gathered from synoptic stations, automatic weather stations (AWS), meteorological satellites, and radar.
“Our Lightning Alert shown through the PANaHON tool provides information to the public on areas frequently experiencing lightning. This helps avoid these locations to prevent potential impacts, especially as thunderstorm events become more frequent,” said Raymond Ordinario, Senior Weather Specialist, Weather Division, PAGASA.
PAGASA is still gathering data on areas commonly struck by lightning, but the public can access this information through the aforementioned websites.