Summer over? Pagasa to test its first rainfall warning system

Children play at the flooded street in Makati City on Tuesday afternoon, during the heavy downpour. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Has the monsoon season come unusually early this year?

Metro Manila cooled down on Tuesday as grey clouds brought unexpected downpours and a cooler breeze, giving city folks a respite from the infernal summer heat.

Moderate rains in parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces were reported by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

So, it is timely for Pagasa to launch a rainfall warning system (RWS) for Metro Manila. The first of its kind in the country, the RWS will be different and apart from Pagasa’s public storm signal warnings.

At 10 a.m. Tuesday, the temperature at Pagasa Science Garden in Quezon City was recorded at 33.8 degrees Celsius.  By 2 p.m., said Pagasa forecaster Jori Loiz, it was down to 33.1 degrees Celsius, definitely a more tolerable temperature compared to the year-high 36.6 degrees Celsius at the same time on Monday.

Pagasa noted that the moderate rainshowers were not caused by any weather disturbance.

“There are still isolated rainshowers because we are surrounded by oceans,” Loiz said, adding there would be more clouds and rains in the coming days.

The southwest monsoon, the weather system associated with thunderstorms and afternoon showers, ordinarily comes by the second or third week of May, especially in the western seaboard where the capital is located.

Pagasa usually declares the onset of the wet season by the end of May or early June.

But the Pagasa satellite image showed large masses of clouds over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao on Tuesday.  Rains have been reported not only in Metro Manila but in other parts of the country as well.

The agency said the rains in these regions were caused by a low pressure area off the coast of Palawan province and the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

Mindanao

In Mindanao, umbrellas are the handiest fashion accessory to have as protection from both the sun and the rain.

In General Santos City, occasional rain showers have become a welcome respite on a hot day.

In Cotabato City and Maguindanao, brief rains fall almost every night, sometimes even in the early afternoon.

Rains have also drenched the provinces of Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte the past two days, occurring in the afternoon toward the evening.

In Zamboanga City, where it has rained every day, summer seems to have said goodbye. The hot days came as early as March but since last week, the weather has been mostly cloudy, with a good chance of rain.

Warning system

Dr. Susan Espinueva, chief of the hydrometeorology division, said they planned to test the  three-level warning system this month.

According to Espinueva, warning 1 would advise residents to expect rain in their area.  Warning 2  would mean a high probability of rain and would give a more exact location for the concentration of rain. Warning 3 would mean residents should be prepared to evacuate.

Espinueva noted the RW would help Metro Manila residents get ready for disruptions in traffic, a main problem in the city.

It would also enable communities to plan for flash floods and river overspills, she said, even when there is no typhoon.