Rains to persist in some flood-hit areas due to shear line — Pagasa

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that they are not monitoring any low-pressure area on November 22, 2023 as seen in a satellite image. (Photo from Pagasa)

MANILA, Philippines – Overcast skies and heavy rainfall caused by a shear line is expected to continue in some areas that have been swamped by flooding, the state weather bureau said on Wednesday.

A shear line is the convergence of warm and cold wind.

In a weather advisory, the Pagasa forecast cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in Visayas, Bicol region, Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) Quezon, and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Pagasa warned that possible flash floods or landslides may occur due to moderate to at times heavy rains in said areas.

Floods inundated low-lying communities in the Bicol region on Wednesday morning while severe flooding swamped Samar and Panay islands in Visayas.

READ: In Bicol, classes suspended as flood swamps parts of region

READ: Severe flooding hits Samar, Panay islands

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon, or amihan, persists in Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Metro Manila, and the rest of Luzon bringing cloudy skies with light rains.

Pagasa forecast the rest of Mindanao to experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.

Weather specialist Obet Badrina said that the northeast monsoon may weaken in the coming days which would reduce the rainfall brought by the shear line.

“Inaasahan natin na posible po na hihina iyong amihan sa mga susunod na araw kaya posibleng mabawasan ang nararanasang mga pag-ulan na dulot ng shearline,” Badrina said.

(We are expecting that the amihan is likely to weaken in the coming days which may weaken the rainfall due to the shear line.)

Badrina added that the weather bureau is currently not monitoring any low-pressure area within the Philippine area of responsibility and such conditions may continue until the weekend.

As for the country’s seaboards, a gale warning is still in effect in the following areas:

• Batanes
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• Cagayan
• Isabela
• Aurora
• Northern coast of Quezon, including the Polillo Islands
• Calaguas Islands
• Rapu-Rapu, Albay
• Eastern coast of Sorsogon
• Northern and eastern coasts of Catanduanes