Skies will be gloomy, but it’s still summer

MTSAT ENHANCED-IR Satellite Image 5:32 a.m., 14 May 2013

MANILA, Philippines—The skies are likely to remain gloomy in the next few days after rains soaked Election Day in many parts of Luzon and Mindanao, according to the weather bureau.

But technically it’s still summer, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Monday.

Pagasa said the tail-end of a cold front still prevailed over northern Luzon, while the intertropical convergence zone was affecting southern Mindanao, bringing cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms over large portions of Luzon and Mindanao.

Pagasa forecaster Jori Loiz said more thunderstorms occurred this month compared to April—which signals the onset of the rainy season.

The rainy season usually starts in the last week of May or the first week of June, although it can begin earlier or later than that, Loiz said in a phone interview.

He said that some conditions had to be met before Pagasa could declare the beginning of the rainy season, including five consecutive days of rains at five weather stations, and rain levels of at least 25 millimeters also over five days.

Based on Pagasa’s outlook for Saturday, the regions of the Ilocos, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, northern Mindanao, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Soccsksargen and Zamboanga Peninsula will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms.

“Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening,” it added.

Light to moderate winds blowing from the northeast to east will prevail over Mindanao and from the east to southeast over the rest of the country. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate, Pagasa said.

Loiz said the tail-end of a cold front would likely dissipate Tuesday, although another one might replace it on Wednesday or Thursday.