PAGASA: Bad weather in Cebu until weekend

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu province is expected to experience bad weather this week, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Jhomer Eclarino, weather specialist of PAGASA Regional Services Division for Visayas, said the atmospheric condition over Cebu is disrupted by a rain-inducing weather system known as southwest monsoon or locally known as Habagat.

The strength of Habagat was also enhanced by the presence of tropical depression Henry. He said this is the reason why Cebu is experiencing gloomy skies and sudden rains or drizzles. Eclarino added that the weather condition may persist until the weekend.

Eclarino explained that the warm and moist air blowing from the southwest causes thunderstorms or cloudy skies. He, however, said that greater impacts are felt in the western sections of the country than in other regions.

He said Cebu province may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies and isolated rains brought about by thunderstorms. Eclarino said the prevailing southwest monsoon winds are commonly enhanced when there is presence of tropical cyclones.

PAGASA, in its 2 p.m. online bulletin on Monday, announced that Henry was expected to cross the vicinity of Babuyan Group of Islands last night and expected to leave the country today.

The same advisory noted that Henry carried maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour moving in westward direction. Henry is the eighth tropical cyclone entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) this year. But most of these disturbances develop in July, based from historical data.

An average of two to four tropical cyclones is expected to develop and enter PAR this month while there are 10 to 14 tropical cyclones forecasted to occur from July to December this year. (FREEMAN)