Rainy Christmas Day – Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines - It will be a rainy Christmas. Although no tropical cyclone is expected to affect the country on Christmas Day, rains are expected in most parts of Luzon due to the northeast monsoon, the state weather bureau said yesterday.

Robert Sawi, weather division chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the northeast monsoon would continue to affect most parts of the country, particularly the eastern section, in the next three days.

Rainy weather is forecast for the eastern part of southern Luzon, particularly in Catanduanes, Quezon, Bicol, Aurora, Bulacan and Rizal on Dec. 25. The rest of Central Luzon will have cloudy skies with light rains.

The rest of the country, including Metro Manila, will have mostly cloudy skies with passing light rain.

Sawi said there is a slim chance of tropical cyclone development for the remaining days of 2013. A total of 25 cyclones have entered the country so far this year.

PAGASA, however, warned fishermen in Northern and Central Luzon against going out to sea due to high waves generated by the surge of the northeast monsoon.

For the next 24 hours, Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Aurora will have rough to very rough seas with wave heights expected to reach 3.4 to five meters, PAGASA added.