Pagasa sees better weather during Holy Week

MANILA, Philippines —After this week’s downpour, expect better weather during Holy Week.

Torrential rains will continue for a couple of days more, eventually giving way to cloudy weather with afternoon showers by Sunday, according to weather forecasters.

Light to moderate rain fell over Metro Manila for hours Thursday, becoming heavy in Southern Luzon and the Bicol region, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

The culprit: the prevailing tail-end of the cold front, a convergence of northeasterly and easterly winds hovering over Southern Luzon and Visayas.

This system would bring cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms over Luzon and eastern Visayas, becoming widespread over Quezon, Palawan and the Bicol Region.

“We should expect two more days of light to moderate rain,’’ forecaster Jori Loiz said in an interview.

Forecasters have blamed the unusual weather on the prevailing La Niña, which is expected to dissipate by April.

Once the axis of the tail-end of the cold front moves northward toward Northern Luzon and dissipates, the rain would give way to cloudiness with afternoon rainshowers in Mindanao, Visayas and eventually Luzon beginning Sunday, according to Loiz.

“The sun will start to creep out behind the clouds,’’ he said.

On Thursday, from 8 to 11 a.m., the weather bureau recorded heavy rain in Infanta, Quezon and Daet, Camarines Norte; moderate rain in Tanay, Rizal, and light rain elsewhere.