Cold front to bring rains to Southern Luzon, Eastern Visayas

MANILA, Philippines – Provinces in Southern Luzon and Eastern Visayas may get rain showers due to the tail end of a cold front, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Sunday.

The tail end of the cold front, or the convergence point between the cold northeast monsoon or amihan, and the easterlies, or warm winds, from the Pacific Ocean.

Areas near the tail end, including the Bicol region and the provinces of Marinduque and Romblon would have occasional rains and thunderstorms.

“This would bring rainfall to Southern Luzon and Eastern Visayas.  And the northeast monsoon is still prevalent, affecting several areas in Luzon.  And because there is a possibility of heavy rainfall, landslides and flash floods, residents of low-lying and mountainous areas should exercise caution,” weather specialist Ariel Rojas said in Filipino.

The Cagayan Valley region and the provinces of  Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Aurora and Quezon will also have scattered rain showers because of the monsoon.

Generally-fair weather may be expected for the rest of Visayas, except for some areas where localized thunderstorms may occur.

Meanwhile, Pagasa said no weather disturbances, such as low pressure areas or storms, are expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility in the coming days.  Instead, warmer weather may also prevail in the coming days as the wind patterns change, with the easterlies becoming more prevalent.

The cold weather will return by the middle to the end of January or the first half of February, as it is the northeast monsoon’s peak season.

A gale warning has been raised in the shorelines of Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, North Quezon, Polilio Islands, Camarines Norte, northern coast of Camarines Sur, eastern coast of Sorsogon, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar.

Waves in the above-mentioned areas may reach 2.8 meters to 4.5 meters, with conditions ranging from rough to very rough in the eastern seaboards of Luzon and Visayas, and moderate to rough for the rest of the country.  With the gale warning in place, small sea boats and sea crafts are not allowed to set sail.

/atm