Pagasa sees 2 to 3 cyclones coming in June

MTSAT ENHANCED-IR Satellite Image 6:32 p.m., 11 June 2013 . Pagasa sattelite photo

MANILA, Philippines — Two to three storms are expected to hit the Philippines in June, and residents, particularly those living in the western sections of the country, are advised to take precautions against flash floods and landslides.

Weather systems likely to affect the country during the month include the southwest monsoon, low-pressure areas, the intertropical convergence zone, the ridge of high-pressure areas, and two to three tropical cyclones, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in its weather outlook for June.

As of Monday evening, tropical storm “Dante” was at 1,280 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes, as it left the Philippine area of responsibility.

But it maintained its strength, packing 85 kph winds and gusts of up to 100 kph. Dante is expected to continue enhancing the southwest monsoon, bringing rains and thunderstorms, particularly over the western sections of Southern Luzon and the Visayas.

For the rest of June, Pagasa predicted “above-normal” rainfall in central and eastern Luzon and some areas of northern Mindanao. On the other hand, below-normal rainfall is expected in Mindoro and some areas of the Central Visayas.

The weather bureau officially declared the start of the rainy season last Monday. Slightly cooler than normal air temperatures will likely be felt in most parts of the country, according to Pagasa.

Predicted ranges are as follows: 22 to 35 Celsius over Luzon; 16 to 25 Celsius over the mountainous areas of Luzon; 24 to 34 Celsius over Visayas; 24 to 33 Celsius over Mindanao, and 18 to 30 Celsius over the mountainous areas of Mindanao.

In a separate bulletin on Wednesday’s weather outlook, Pagasa said the weak southwest monsoon has been affecting the western sections of Luzon and Visayas.

Southern Tagalog and Bicol regions, Visayas and the provinces of Bataan, Zambales and Pangasinan would experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms, Pagasa said.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest to west will prevail over extreme northern Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough, according to Pagasa. Elsewhere, winds coming from the southwest will be light to moderate with slight to moderate seas.