Pagasa: No storms but expect rain

MTSAT ENHANCED IR Satellite Image for 12 m.n., 05 December 2011

Although there are no storms in sight, rains are expected in the entire southern Luzon area, including Metro Manila, in the next two days due to the tail-end of the cold front, the weather bureau said Sunday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the entire country will be mostly cloudy and rainy in the next two days, with Metro Manila and the Southern Tagalog region receiving light to moderate rains. Mindanao will also be cloudy with rainshowers, the agency said.

The weather is expected to clear by Wednesday.

Fernando Cada, Pagasa weather specialist, explained that the air mass generated by the convergence of the northeast monsoon and the easterlies have led to an “unstable atmosphere” over the Philippines.

The northeast monsoon brings cold, dry air, while the easterlies, which are supposed to be weakening this time of year, produces warm and humid air.

“All of our stations are recording rains,” Cada said in an interview yesterday.

So far, there are no typhoons within the country’s area of responsibility. However, there is a shallow low pressure area off the coast of Palawan, which could be responsible for the heavier downpour in the Visayas, he said.

Cada noted that the northeast monsoon, which is responsible for the cooler temperatures in December, has yet to become dominant. The easterlies continue to break up the cold winds that come down from the northern hemisphere, he said.

Pagasa predicts that daytime temperatures will remain warm and humid, with the mercury in the low thirties.