Pagasa: Expect rains as LPA, cold front prevail in most parts of PH

MANILA, Philippines — Various parts of the country like the extreme Northern Luzon, Bicol Region, and provinces in Visayas and Mindanao may experience rain showers due to the tail end of a cold front and a low pressure area (LPA) down south.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its forecast Thursday afternoon that cloudy skies may prevail in different areas within 24 hours.

While the LPA may not turn into a tropical depression, weather specialist Chris Perez said that it would still bring rains to the southern part of the country.  Latest satellite imaging from Pagasa showed that the LPA is around 375 kilometers east of General Santos City.

“Itong nabanggit nating sama ng panahon ay inaasahang makaka-apekto hindi lang sa Mindanao kung hindi sa ilang bahagi rin ng ka-Bisayaan,” Perez said.

(This bad weather that we mentioned is expected to affect areas not only in Mindanao, but also in different parts of Visayas.)

“Samantala ang tail end ng cold front naman ay naka-extend dito sa may bandang Bicol Region, at dito sa may bandang dulong hilagang Luzon, umiiral pa rin ‘yong hanging Amihan o northeast monsoon,” he added.

(Meanwhile, the tail end of the cold front which is extended near the Bicol Region, and in the extreme northern Luzon, the northeast monsoon is still prevalent.)

The rest of Luzon including Metro Manila may experience a generally fair weather, which may sometimes range to warm and humid.  However, occasional rains are still expected in these areas.

Cold weather still persists in Northern Luzon due to the monsoon, with temperatures in Baguio City ranging from 14 to 25 degrees Celsius, and 20 to 31 degrees Celsius in Laoag and Tuguegarao City.  In Metro Manila, the hottest temperatures are expected to reach 31 degrees Celsius.

“Inaasahan na posible pa ngang bahagyang bumaba (temperature) dahil sa inaasahan nating Amihan sa loob ng 24 na oras, at sa susunod na dalawa hanggang tatlong araw,” Perez explained.

(We are expecting that the temperatures may even drop, as we are still expecting the northeast monsoon within 24 hours and in the following two to three days.)

A gale warning was also raised in the shores of Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Calayan, northeast Cagayan, northern Ilocos coastlines, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, and eastern coast of Cagayan due to the monsoon winds.

This means that fisherfolk using small sea crafts are not allowed to set sail, as waves may reach as high as 2.8 to 4.5 meters while sea condition will be rough to very rough.

For the rest of the country, moderate to rough seas are expected in the rest of the country’s coastal areas.

Edited by JPV