Cloudy skies over Northern Luzon; LPA forms east of Mindanao

Satellite image from Himawari IR-1 via Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — A huge part of Northern Luzon would be covered in clouds due to the northeast monsoon’s combined effects and the tail-end of a frontal system, state meteorologists said on Thursday.

According to afternoon weather updates from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), rains will continue to persist over Cagayan Valley, Kalinga-Apayao, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Aurora on Friday due to the frontal system.

Areas in the Ilocos Region, the rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region, will experience fair weather, but rains may still occur due to the northeast monsoon or amihan.

Meanwhile, Pagasa said that the cloud cluster being monitored east of Mindanao has developed into a low-pressure area.  It is estimated to be 1,710 kilometers east of Mindanao — well outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) but may inch closer in the coming days.

The other LPA east of the Bicol Region has dissipated after it hit land early Thursday.

Due to the two prevailing systems, temperatures up north will be slightly colder as Tuguegarao would experience something between 23 and 28 degrees Celsius, 22 and 29 degrees for Laoag, and 15 and 24 degrees in Baguio City.

Metro Manila and Legazpi would be warmer at 24 to 32 degrees Celsius and 25 to 33 degrees, respectively, same with Puerto Princesa at 26 to 33 degrees.

Visayas and Mindanao would also be warm, save for some rain showers due to occasional thunderstorms.  Temperatures in Tacloban and Cebu range from 25 to 31 degrees Celsius, while it would be 25 to 33 degrees in Davao and Zamboanga.

Gale warnings are still in place over the entire extreme northern Luzon seaboard, eastern waters of Isabela and Cagayan, and a huge portion of Luzon’s western coasts from Ilocos Norte in Ilocos Region down to Bataan in Central Luzon.

Fisherfolk and boat transfer operators cannot set sail in these areas because sea conditions would range from rough to very rough. [ac]