Filipino Farmers Struggle As Drought And Heatwave Hits

San Antonio, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2024) Filipino farmer Daniel Velasco pumps water from a well in a desperate attempt to save his wilting vegetables, as a scorching heatwave and the worst drought in years hits crops.

It has hardly rained on Velasco's plot of gourds and tomatoes since November, as the El Nino weather phenomenon brings drier conditions and baking temperatures.

"I'm losing a lot of money," Velasco, 57, told AFP, standing barefoot on the cracked ground in the northern province of Nueva Ecija.

His gourds "died before I could even sell them", pushing him deeper into debt.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate pattern typically associated with increased heat worldwide, leading to drought in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere.

Unusually hot weather has blasted South and Southeast Asia for the past week, forcing schools to send children home and the authorities to issue health warnings.

Global temperatures hit record highs last year, and the United Nations' weather and climate agency said last week that Asia was warming at a particularly rapid pace.

More than half of the Philippines' provinces, including Nueva Ecija, are in drought as El Nino exacerbates hot and dry conditions typical for March, April and May.

Temperatures have sizzled around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the country in recent days, with the heat index -- what the temperature feels like, taking into account humidity -- in one area hitting 53C.