Rainy school opening seen

MTSAT ENHANCED IR Satellite Image for 2:32 a.m., 1 June 2012

While the wet season hasn’t officially kicked in yet, monsoon rains are expected to affect the opening of classes next week.

Monsoon rains induced by an active low pressure area (LPA) east off Samar would become more frequent over southern Luzon, including Metro Manila and the Visayas next week, weather forecasters said Thursday.

Southern Luzon, the Visayas and western and northeastern Mindanao would start experiencing isolated to widespread rain showers this weekend, said forecaster Nikos Peñaranda of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

“We should watch out for these possible monsoon rains. Next week will be critical. It’s likely that we’ll be experiencing monsoon rains as well by next week because of the enhancement of the southwest monsoon,’’ Peñaranda said in an interview.

As of 8 a.m. Thursday, the LPA was over the Philippine Sea 330 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar.

While far from the archipelago, the LPA would induce the southwest monsoon, or winds blowing southwest, to bring rain over some sections as early as Friday, Peñaranda said.

The LPA would likely develop into a tropical depression Saturday, and when it does, the monsoon rain would intensify, he said. Once a tropical depression, it will be called “Ambo.’’

“When you have a tropical cyclone east of the Philippines, the monsoon rains become more frequent. Even though the LPA is still far from the archipelago, that will be its direct effect,’’ Peñaranda said.  TJ Burgonio