MANILA, Philippines – Rain showers are possible in Mindanao and Visayas provinces due to the active low-pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) and the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that while the possibility of the LPA developing into a tropical depression remains low, this would still bring cloud bands that raise the possibility of rains.
The LPA was last tracked at 805 kilometers east of Davao City, along the ITCZ south of Mindanao.
“Sa kasalukuyang analysis nanatiling mababa ang tsansa na mabuo ito bilang isang bagyo, gayunpaman mag-antabay pa rin tayo sa mga updates ng Pagasa ukol sa nasabing weather disturbance,” weather specialist Loriedin De La Cruz said in the latest weather forecast.
(Our current analysis says that the chance for the low-pressure area to turn into a storm remains low, but we still urge people to monitor updates from Pagasa due to the said weather disturbance.)
“Hindi pa rin natin inaalis ang posibilidad na lumapit itong LPA sa ating kalupaan, partikular na sa silangang bahagi ng Mindanao, at posible pa rin itong magdulot ng mga pag-ulan sa Mindanao at Visayas landmass hanggang weekend,” she added.
(We are not removing the possibility that the LPA nears the landmass, especially the eastern part of Mindanao, and it can still bring rains to the Mindanao and Visayas landmass up to the weekend.)
While cloudy skies may prevail over Luzon, hot and humid weather is expected in Metro Manila, Tuguegarao, and Northern and Southern Luzon with a low chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. For the rest of Luzon though, isolated thunderstorms are possible especially in the afternoon and by night.
In the Visayas, warm weather is expected although it is highly likely that rains would be experienced in several towns especially in Cebu and eastern areas like Tacloban. The same could be said for Mindanao, which will see cloudy skies and rains due to the ITCZ.
No gale warning has been raised over the country, which means that fisherfolk with small boats can set sail. Sea condition in Luzon’s western seaboard and the whole eastern side will be moderate, while the rest of the country’s seas will experience a slight to moderate condition.
Pagasa also reminded people to stay hydrated and refrain from staying under the heat of the sun, as heat indices in several areas continued to breach the 40 degree Celsius mark. In the Science Garden in Quezon City, the heat index reached 38 degrees Celsius.