PAGASA: Expect rainy New Year

MANILA, Philippines — Three weather systems will bring rains in many parts of the country this New Year’s Eve and on Jan. 1, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.

PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja said that no low-pressure area (LPA) is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) in the next few days.

“For our four-day weather forecast, for the New Year celebration, that’s Tuesday (Dec. 31) and Wednesday (Jan. 1), rains will affect a big portion of the country due to the northeast monsoon, shear line and intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ),” Estareja said.

Rains also affected Christmas celebrations in the country on Dec. 25.

“The northeast monsoon continues to affect a big portion of Northern Luzon, so we expect rains in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Cagayan Valley. Weak to moderate rains will also affect Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora and many parts of Southern Luzon, Visayas, the Caraga region, Zamboanga Peninsula and nearby areas in the western and eastern sections of Mindanao,” Estareja added.

He said that for Jan. 2 and 3, rains will persist in portions of Luzon.

“The cloudiness will go up because of the effects of shear line and northeast monsoon. Rains will affect most of Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, CAR, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines, northern and nearby areas in the Bicol Region and Calabarzon. The public should take necessary precaution on possible flooding and landslide,” Estareja said.

He added that the entire country will experience cloudy skies and isolated rains.

Estareja said moderate to heavy or 50 to 100 millimeters (mm) of rains were expected yesterday in Cagayan, Apayao, Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Palawan, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Zamboanga del Norte, Negros Oriental, Siquijor and Dinagat Islands due to the shear line and there inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ).

He said today, moderate to heavy rains may be experienced in Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte.

Tomorrow, moderate to heavy rains are expected in Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Albay, Sorsogon, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte.