3 weather systems make for a rainy New Year

MANILA, Philippines — A rainy New Year’s Day is forecast in most parts of the country due to three weather systems, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The northeast monsoon, the shear line and the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) will affect most parts of the country on the first day of 2025.

The shear line is expected to continue to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains over mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Quezon and Bicol Region.

Moderate to heavy rains of between 50-100 millimeters is expected over the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Dinagat islands due to the two systems.

Meanwhile, the monsoon may bring light rains over the Cordillera Administrative Region and the rest of Cagayan Valley.

The monsoon will bring light rains over the Ilocos Region.

The Visayas and Caraga may see scattered rainshowers due to the ITCZ.

The easterlies may bring isolated rains over Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

PAGASA said there is no tropical cyclone threat in the first week of the New Year.

A tropical cyclone-like vortex may emerge over the southwest portion of the Philippine area of responsibility between Jan. 3 to 9.

However, it has a low chance of forming into a cyclone and the tropical cyclone threat is unlikely till next week.

Record heat

Meanwhile, the year 2024 is set to be the warmest on record.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) will publish the consolidated global temperature figure for 2024 this January and its full State of the Global Climate 2024 report in March.

Throughout 2024, a series of reports from the WMO community highlighted the rapid pace of climate change and its far-reaching impacts on every aspect of sustainable development.

Record breaking rainfalls were documented, as well as catastrophic flooding, scorching heat waves with temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius and devastating wildfires.

The organization found that climate change added 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024, harming human health and ecosystems in their report “When Risks Become Reality: Extreme Weather.”

Climate change also intensified 26 of the 29 weather events studied by World Weather Attribution that killed at least 3,700 people and displaced millions. — Pia Lee-Brago