Pagasa Thursday forecast: Scattered rain showers, cloudy skies

MANILA, Philippines — Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) will prevail in the  Visayas, Mindanao, Bicol and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) regions on Thursday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

The ITCZ is where winds coming from the northern and southern hemisphere converge, bringing clouds that cause rains in affected areas.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have fair weather with partly cloudy to cloudy skies and isolated rain showers, Pagasa said in its   4 a.m. weather forecast.

Pagasa weather specialist Ezra Bulquerin said the isolated rain showers in most parts of Luzon may occur most likely in the afternoon or evening.

The weather bureau is also currently monitoring a tropical depression outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

The weather disturbance was last spotted 1,260 kilometers east northeast of extreme northern Luzon. Moving west southwest at 15 kilometers per hour (kph), it is packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.

Bulquerin reiterated that the tropical depression may still enter PAR.

“Inaasahan pa rin natin na ito ay magweaken na lamang into a low pressure area pagpasok ng PAR kaya hindi natin inaasahan na ito ay makakaapekto sa ating bansa,” he added.

(We still expect that it will weaken into LPA when it enters PAR so it might not affect the weather condition in the country.)

Forecast temperature range in key cities:

Metro Manila: 25 to 32 degrees Celsius
Baguio City: 16 to 24 degrees Celsius
Laoag City:  24 to 32 degrees Celsius
Tuguegarao: 24 to 33 degrees Celsius
Legazpi City: 26 to 32 degrees Celsius
Puerto Princesa City: 26 to 31 degrees Celsius
Iloilo City: 26 to 31 degrees Celsius
Cebu City: 24 to 31 degrees Celsius
Tacloban City: 24 to 30 degrees Celsius
Cagayan De Oro City: 24 to 32 degrees Celsius
Zamboanga City: 24 to 31 degrees Celsius
Davao City: 24 to 31 degrees Celsius

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