No tropical cyclone expected this week – Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines - No tropical cyclone is expected to enter the country this week.

However, rains might affect some parts of Luzon due to the northeast monsoon and the tail-end of a cold front.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday the northeast monsoon (amihan) will bring light rains and lower temperatures in Northern Luzon until Wednesday.

Bicol and Quezon province will have light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms due to the tail-end of a cold front later this week.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will continue to have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA said rough to very rough seas will continue to affect Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, the northern coast of Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Cagayan, Aurora, Camarines provinces, Catanduanes, the eastern coast of Albay, the eastern coast of Sorsogon and the eastern coast of Quezon, including Polillo Island.

“Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” PAGASA said.

PAGASA is expecting the gradual termination of the southwest monsoon (habagat) later this month.

“The southwest monsoon is in gradual termination stage. Transition period from southwest monsoon to northeast monsoon is expected to follow, wherein a notable shift of the prevailing wind from southwest to east to northeasterly, gradually strengthening as seasonal changes become apparent,” PAGASA said.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said latest climate prediction models show that a weak El Niño remains possible in the last quarter of the year until the first few months of 2015.