Some rain expected around Christmas

MANILA, Philippines—One or two more tropical cyclones are expected to enter the country this month, and the Christmas season will be marked by “near to above normal rainfall” and some surges of cold temperature, the state weather bureau said Friday.

But December will not be as chilly as January and February next year, when the northeast monsoon, or “hanging amihan,” reaches its peak, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

According to Pagasa’s climate outlook for December to April 2014, some weather systems that will affect the country include the northeast monsoon, low-pressure areas, the Intertropical Convergence Zone, the tail-end of a cold front, and cold surges.

Pagasa’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Center also predicted zero or one tropical cyclone hitting the country in the months of January, March and April 2014, with only a slim chance of it hitting in February.

In January, there will be generally near to above normal rainfall in most parts of the country, except the Samar provinces, Marinduque and Sulu, which will likely receive below normal rainfall, the forecast said.

In February, western sections of Luzon will see generally above normal rainfall while near normal rain will be experienced generally in the Visayas and Mindanao with some patches of below normal rainfall, it added.

In March, rainfall will be above normal over Ilocos and the Cordillera Administrative Region, near normal in the Visayas including the Zamboanga peninsula, Cagayan and Central Luzon region, while generally below normal in most parts of Mindanao.

Finally, April will see generally way below to below normal rainfall in most parts of the country while western Luzon, the Zamboanga peninsula and Northern Mindanao will likely receive near to above normal rainfall.