Good weather expected in Luzon, Visayas during the weekend

MANILA, Philippines - Residents of Luzon and the Visayas will continue to experience good weather during the weekend, the weather bureau said yesterday.

Joel Jesusa, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) weather forecaster, said no weather disturbance is expected to affect the country in the next several days.

The country is now experiencing a “monsoon break” or the interruption of the rainy season due to the presence of the system called the “ridge of high pressure area,” he added.

In a phone interview, Jesusa said the presence of the high pressure area at this time of the year is “abnormal.”

“We expect the southwest monsoon to deliver normal rainfall in late July,” he said.

Jesusa said the southwest monsoon is being deflected by the high pressure area.

The abnormal event can be attributed to the lingering effects of El Niño, he added.

Meanwhile, Jesusa said the low-pressure area spotted off Basco, Batanes Wednesday afternoon was expected to move out of the country yesterday evening.

“The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening,” he said.

Jesusa said the intertropical convergence zone will continue to bring rains over Mindanao in the next 24 hours.

“Extreme Northern Luzon and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms,” he said.