Warm days back, but expect rains

MANILA, Philippines - Warm weather will again prevail in the country this weekend after a few days of clouds and rain, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said yesterday.

“Our weather will slowly warm over the next few days,” Pagasa weather forecaster Nonoy About told The STAR in a phone interview.

However, he said the country could still expect “on and off rains,” mostly in the afternoons and evenings, in the next few weeks.

About said Filipinos should brace for hotter days next month as temperatures, particularly in Cagayan Valley, may reach 39 to 40 degrees Celsius.

In Metro Manila, maximum daytime temperature could go up to 37 to 38 degrees Celsius in April, he said.

He added that Eastern Luzon would continue to experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in the next 24 hours.

The rest of the country would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening.

Earlier, Pagasa deputy director for operations and services officer-in-charge Nathaniel Cruz said the amount of rainfall in Metro Manila is “abnormal,” considering the current summer season.

Cruz attributed the current “abnormal” weather pattern to climate change.

“It’s really abnormal due to extreme heating,” he said.

He added that rains this month have already exceeded the 10-millimeter average rainfall due to thunderstorms the last three weeks.

He said the rains experienced this summer could also be due to climate change.