Pagasa: Light to moderate rainfall in Mindanao on Thursday

State meteorologists said that Mindanao will still be dampened by rains on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, due to the effects of easterlies. (Photo from Pagasa)

MANILA, Philippines — Mindanao folks were advised to brace for possible rains on Thursday due to the effects of easterlies, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Easterlies are warm winds blowing from the Pacific Ocean that bring hot and humid weather in Luzon and the Visayas but rains over parts of Mindanao, Pagasa specialist Benison Estareja explained during a public weather report.

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Estareja noted that while the rains over Mindanao were not expected to be as intense as in the past few days, residents in the area must still prepare for the possibility of light to moderate rainfall.

“The rainfall won’t be as strong as in the past few days, we’ll experience light to moderate rains, and there will be thunderstorms in the afternoon, so flooding and landslides are still possible,” he cautioned.

The weather specialist said that rains would mainly prevail over Caraga and the Davao Region, while partly cloudy skies with chances of rainfall are expected over Soccsksargen, Northern Mindanao, the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao, and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, these regions are still grappling with the effects of the trough of the low-pressure area (LPA), which has since dissipated earlier this month.

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Meanwhile, Pagasa said in a bulletin issued at 4 a.m. that the rest of the country, including Metro Manila, could be expected to experience partly cloudy skies with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms due to easterlies and localized thunderstorms.

The northeast monsoon, locally known as amihan, has weakened and is only affecting extreme Northern Luzon, Estareja said in his report.

Due to the weakened northeast monsoon, no gale warning was hoisted over any coastal area in the country, he continued.

State meteorologists are also not monitoring any LPA forming or entering the Philippine area of responsibility on Thursday.