No storms expected ahead of New Year, but rain still possible — Pagasa
MANILA, Philippines — No tropical storms are expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) as the country prepares to greet the New Year, but state meteorologists warn of possible rain because of the northeast monsoon or “amihan” and the tail end of a frontal system.
According to weather updates from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Wednesday afternoon, the tail end of a frontal system is moving down slightly which means that more areas may be affected by cloudy weather and rain.
But scenarios may change by January as Pagasa predicts one tropical cyclone making its way into the PAR.
“Sa ngayon ‘yong mga low pressure area na binabantayan natin nitong mga nakaraang araw ay nagdissipate na, ngunit may mga cloud clusters pa rin tayong namomonitor sa labas ng ating area of responsibility na ating imo-monitor sa mga susunod na araw,” weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said.
(So far the low-pressure area we have monitored these past few days has dissipated, although there are cloud clusters which we have seen outside our area of responsibility, which we would also monitor in the coming days.)
“Magandang balita dahil sa hanggang sa matapos ang 2020 ay wala na tayong inaasahan na bagyo […] ngunit pagdating ng Enero may inaasahan pa rin tayo na isa pang bagyo na maaaring pumasok or mabuo sa ating area of responsibility,” he added.
(The good news is that there are no storms expected until 2020 ends, but by January we are looking at the possibility of a storm building up or entering our area of responsibility.)
For Thursday, New Year’s Eve, areas in Northern Luzon including Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region, and the Cordillera can expect cloudy skies and rain because of the prevailing weather systems.
Metro Manila, Southern Luzon, and the Bicol Region may be affected by scattered rain showers and thunderstorms still due to the frontal system. Temperatures will also drop in Tuguegarao at 23 to 28 degrees Celsius, Metro Manila and Laoag at 24 to 30 degrees, and Legazpi and Palawan at 24 to 29 degrees.
Better weather conditions are expected in Visayas and Mindanao although there is still a chance of rains in Cagayan de Oro and Tacloban. Temperatures in Cebu will be around 24 to 31 degrees Celsius, 24 to 30 degrees in Tacloban, 24 to 33 degrees in Zamboanga, and 25 to 32 degrees in Davao.
With the “amihan” and the frontal system in effect, Pagasa has placed the entire eastern seaboard of Luzon — from Cagayan Valley down to the Bicol Region — under a gale warning as it expects strong winds and large waves.
Meanwhile, the northern coast of Northern Luzon, as well as the western waters off Ilocos Region and Central Luzon are also included in the gale warning, as waves may reach a height of from 2.8 meters to 6.0 meters in these areas.
