MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Monday that recent oceanic and atmospheric conditions indicate that La Niña has developed in the tropical Pacific. Nathaniel Servando, Pagasa chief, cited data gathered since September 2025 showing that sea surface temperatures in the central and equatorial Pacific started to decrease and further declined in November, reaching a weak La Niña threshold. “Based on the latest forecast, La Niña is likely to persist until the first quarter of 2026,” he told The Manila Times. Servando explained that weak La Niña conditions exist if a one-month sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) of -0.5 degree Celsius or less is observed. La Niña is usually associated with above-normal rainfall conditions in most areas of the country during the last quarter of the year and early months of the following year. With this development, higher chances of above-normal rainfall until this month are expected, which may cause floods and landslides, he said.