MANILA, Philippines — The northeast monsoon or “amihan”, easterlies, and the shear line are projected to bring cloudy skies with rains on Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.
In a 4 a.m. forecast, Pagasa explained that the northeast monsoon will bring overcast skies with rain in Batanes, with possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains.
The state weather bureau officially announced the onset of the “amihan” season on Tuesday afternoon, signaling cooler weather across the country brought by the cool and dry northeast winds.
READ: ‘Amihan’ season begins, says Pagasa
Meanwhile, areas of Babuyan Islands in Cagayan will experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and isolated thunderstorms due to the shearline, according to Pagasa.
READ: Pagasa says 3 weather systems to bring cloudy skies, rains Nov 19
“The shear line and northeast monsoon are currently affecting parts of the extreme northern Luzon areas,” state weather specialist Rhea Torres said on Wednesday morning.
Torres added that easterlies will also bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms in the rest of Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Quezon, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, and Davao Region.
“‘The movement of cloud formations that we are observing is caused by the effects of the easterlies. These winds, originating from the Pacific Ocean, are currently affecting the eastern portion of our country,” the state weather specialist explained.
Aside from these weather conditions, Torres noted that generally fair weather is expected across the rest of the country, except for the possibility of isolated thunderstorms and brief periods of heavy rainfall more likely to occur Monday afternoon or evening.
A gale warning was likewise hoisted by Pagasa in the coastal areas of Batanes and Babuyan Islands.
“It is still dangerous to set sail, especially for our fellow citizens using small sea vessels,” Torres warned in the early morning forecast.
She added that coastal waters in northern Luzon are expected to remain rough, with wave heights potentially reaching up to 3.1 meters.
Extra caution is advised for those planning to sail in the coastal waters in the northern Luzon area, Pagasa concluded.