Pagasa: Cold front thawing, but…

MTSAT ENHANCED-IR Satellite Image 2:32 a.m., 18 January 2013

The tail end of a cold front affecting the Philippines has weakened but it will continue to spawn clouds and light rains over the Visayas and Northern Mindanao, the weather bureau said Thursday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that while the effects of the weather system were receding, it would still bring cloudy with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms to the two regions.

Palawan, the Caraga region, and Eastern and Central Visayas will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers or thunderstorms, Pagasa said.

Cagayan Valley, the Bicol region and the provinces of Aurora and Quezon will be cloudy with light rains.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms, the weather bureau said.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail throughout the archipelago and the coastal waters will be moderate to rough, it said.

Pagasa also released a special weather advisory for Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, two of the hardest hit provinces by the deadly Typhoon Pablo in December.

It said the two provinces will be partly cloudy to sometimes cloudy with brief rainshowers on Thursday and Friday. Winds will be light to moderate, and seas will be slightly to moderately rough, it said.

Meanwhile, bad weather in northern Mindanao resulted in the cancellation of four Cebu Pacific flights Thursday.

Cancelled were Butuan City-bound flights 5J-787, set to leave at around 1 p.m., and 5J-791, set to leave at around 1:30 p.m. Their return flights were also cancelled.

Flooding caused by the tropical depression Bising had caused significant damage in Butuan, leading the city council there to declare a state of calamity.