Forecast: Fair weather in Luzon, occasional rains in south on Christmas

MANILA, Philippines—Expect fair weather in Metro Manila and most other parts of Luzon on Christmas Day, interrupted only by passing showers, but it will likely be wetter down south, in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, the state weather bureau said Friday.

The tail-end of a cold front and the northeast monsoon (amihan) are the dominant weather systems affecting most parts of Eastern Luzon, Eastern Visayas and Mindanao, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

In a special weather outlook for the Christmas holidays, Pagasa said occasional rains are expected over southern Luzon, eastern Visayas and eastern Mindanao from Dec. 21 to 23.

The rains will become more frequent over the provinces of Surigao, Davao, Leyte and Samar on Dec. 24 and 25 due to the approach of a low pressure area, it added.

The low pressure area, however, is not expected to turn into a storm and may dissipate after Christmas.

On the other hand, the eastern section of Northern and Central Luzon will have light rains spawned by the northeast monsoon, which brings in cold winds from Siberia and China, Pagasa said.

“The rest of the country will have good weather conditions apart from passing showers,” the weather bureau said in its outlook.

Fishing vessels and other sea craft in the seaboards of Luzon and Visayas are alerted on big waves generated by the monsoon surge, with wave heights of 3-6 meters. Residents living in low-lying areas of Mindanao were also advised to take precautionary measures against flash floods and landslides.