Moonsoon to bring rains over N. Luzon

MANILA, Philippines – The northeast monsoon has intensified, bringing light rains and rough seas in Northern Luzon, the state weather bureau said yesterday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the regions of Cagayan Valley, the Cordilleras and Ilocos would experience cloudy skies with light rains in the next 24 hours.

PAGASA said the seaboards of Northern Luzon, including Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Isabela, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan, will have rough to very rough seas.

The agency warned these areas would experience waves as high as 4.5 meters.

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

PAGASA declared the onset of the northeast monsoon last Oct. 16. The northeast monsoon brings cold and dry air in the country from November to February.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said the Bicol region and Quezon province will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the tail-end of a cold front.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country, on the other hand, will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly over the eastern sections.

Visayas and Mindanao will have good weather in the next few days, PAGASA senior weather forecaster Rene Paciente said.

Paciente said a low-pressure area is expected to develop east of the Visayas this week but it is unlikely to develop into a tropical cyclone.