Pagasa advises gov’t: Prepare for short, strong thunderstorms during Monday’s Sona

Pagasa weather update

MANILA, Philippines — State meteorologists have urged people involved in the preparation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday to be ready for inclement weather, as Metro Manila may experience short but strong bursts of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

During Friday’s briefing of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Weather Services Chief Juanito Galang explained that while Tropical Depression Egay would not have a direct effect on Metro Manila, it may intensify the southwest monsoon and cause thunderstorms by afternoon.

Marcos will deliver his second Sona on Monday, July 24, during which Egay — which will possibly be located over the Philippine Sea — has already intensified into a typhoon-category cyclone.

“In terms of forecast rainfall, sa nakikita natin sa ngayon, afternoon thunderstorm ang pwedeng maka-apekto by Monday sa araw ng Sona, and then by Tuesday gradually mag-iincrease na ‘yong paulan […] Dito sa Metro Manila magkakaro’n na rin, mas dadalas na ‘yong afternoon thunderstorms,” Galang said.

(In terms of forecast rainfall, with what we are seeing today, afternoon thunderstorm can affect Metro Manila by Monday, on Sona day, and then by Tuesday rain fall will gradually increase […] Here in Metro Manila there would be rains, and afternoon thunderstorms will be more frequent.)

“Sa ngayon ang recommendation natin dahil may mga pag-ulan pa rin tayong inaasahan sa hapon, so gawin na rin ‘yong lahat ng kaukulang paghahanda kapag nagkaro’n ng short duration thunderstorms,” he added.

(As of now our recommendation is, because we expect rains by afternoon, is to prepare just in case we have short duration thunderstorms.)

Galang also stressed that these short bursts of thunderstorms may carry strong winds.

“Kasi malalakas din ‘yong paulan na ‘yon, although binabanggit ko nga kanina na medyo ‘yong duration niya ay maiksi.  So minsan mayroon din ‘yang kaakibat na malalakas na hangin, so paghandaan din po natin,” he noted.

(Because we would have strong rains, although I have said earlier that the duration of these bursts will be short.  So sometimes, these bursts also carry strong winds, so we should prepare for that.)

Pagasa officer-in-charge Esperanza Cayanan meanwhile assured the public that they would meticulously monitor weather conditions on Monday to ensure that information is delivered ahead of time.

“Meron naman tayong ipapalabas na thunderstorm advisory, kasi ito ‘yong short duration talaga sa araw na ‘yon, titignan natin talaga, babantayan natin ‘yong cloud development para mabigyan ng mas maagang abiso ‘yong kung ano man ‘yong posibleng mangyari in the next two to three hours,” Cayanan said.

(We will release thunderstorm advisories, because these are short duration thunderstorms on Monday, we will intently look at cloud development to provide people prompt advice about what may happen in the next two to three hours.)

“So tutok tayo sa development ng thunderstorm cloud sa Monday, para lang magkaroon tayo ng magandang monitoring and advanced information.  Pero short duration lang ito,” she added.

(So we will focus on the possibility that thunderstorm clouds would develop on Monday, so that we can have good monitoring and advanced information.  But these would be short duration bursts.)

As of Friday night, Pagasa said that Egay is almost stationary, as it was seen 825 kilometers east of Southeastern Luzon as of 10 p.m. — moving just 10 kilometers since the 4 p.m. update.

Egay is currently packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, and gustiness of up to 70 kph.  Pagasa is also expecting that because of Egay’s prolonged stay over bodies of water due to its slow movement, it will intensify further and reach super typhoon category on Tuesday, as it moves along extreme northern Luzon.

READ: Egay may become a super typhoon by Monday, threatening Sona 

JPV