Rains expected as LPA enters PAR

CEBU, Philippines — The entry of the Low Pressure Area (LPA) to the Philippine Area of Responsibility last Saturday night is expected to bring rains to Cebu in the coming days.

Alfredo Quiblat, Jr., chief of PAGASA-Visayas, said Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas will experience light to moderate rains as the weather disturbance draws closer to the country.

At 3 a.m. yesterday, the LPA was spotted 890 kilometers East-Northeast of Guiuan town in Eastern Samar.

Quiblat said that while the rain-inducing weather system is less likely to hit land, there is a 50 percent chance it will intensify and elevate into a tropical cyclone.

Still, even if it will not develop into a tropical cyclone, its trough or “extension” would still bring rains to Cebu, Quiblat said.

He said further that there is low probability that the weather disturbance will bring intense or heavy rains unless a localized thunderstorm, another weather system, will form.

Heavy or torrential rains can flood low-lying areas and trigger landslides in mountain villages.

"But it (LPA) will only cause less impact. People can expect that on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, there will be scattered light to moderate rains due to trough of LPA or tropical cyclone, if it will intensify," Quiblat said.

Based from the rainfall forecast for Cebu issued Sunday, the province may experience mostly cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorm today, June 24.

Tomorrow, June 25, partly cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorm are predicted to occur.

On June 26 and 27, the province is seen to experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers or thunderstorm.

Quiblat said wind intensity will only be between light to moderate. Winds affect sea conditions and sea travels.

From June 24 to 27, winds will blow from the Southwest at 20 to 30 kilometers per hour.

Quiblat said that even if the LPA is expected to have less impact to Cebu, local disaster units should continue to monitor advisories from PAGASA advisories as significant changes in the weather pattern may occur. (FREEMAN)