More rains in next 2 days in MM, Luzon

Lights rain will prevail over some parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, in the next two days due to the tail-end of a cold front, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said yesterday.

Pagasa senior weather forecaster Bobby Rivera, however, said that despite the rains, no tropical cyclones are expected to enter the country until the weekend, based on latest computer models.

Rivera said improving weather conditions are expected during the weekend.

The cold front, a weather system that forms clouds and induces rain during cold months, is the result of a convergence of cold, dry air from the northeasterly winds and the relatively warm, moist air from the easterly winds.

So far, 13 tropical cyclones have entered the Philippine area of responsibility this year, short by seven from last year’s total of 20.

A tropical depression is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 35 to 63 kilometers per hour (kph). A tropical depression has no eye and does not typically have the organization or the spiral shape of more powerful storms.

A tropical storm, on the other hand, is an organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 64 to 117 kph. At this point, the distinctive cyclonic shape starts to develop, although an eye is not usually present. – Helen Flores