Photo grabbed from PAGASA website
It will be a cloudy weekend in Cebu and the whole Visayas region as the southwest monsoon intensifies.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned that the low pressure area in northern Luzon has already developed into a tropical depression yesterday afternoon.
Tropical Depression Jolina was spotted 400 kilometers northeast of Catanduanes and 560 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora. Jolina is bringing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour and is moving northeast at 17 kilometers per hour.
Al Quiblat of Pagasa Mactan said Jolina is enhancing Habagat, which is affecting the Visayas.
“We can expect cloudy skies from Friday (today) until Sunday because we are indirectly affected by Jolina. We will also experience light to moderate rainfall with occasional thunderstorms,” Quiblat said.
Quiblat added that the thunderstorms may cause floods in some parts of Cebu as Jolina is foreseen to grow stronger today.
As of yesterday afternoon, storm signal no. 1 was raised in southern Cagayan, Isabela and northern Aurora.
Possible storm signal no. 1 could be raised over Quirino, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Kalinga and Northern Cagayan, according to Pagasa weather bulletin.
Jolina may develop into a storm by Friday evening as it makes landfall over northern Luzon, packing sustained winds of more than 60 kilometers per hour.
Jolina is the second tropical depression for the month of August.
“The tropical depression will worsen the effects of the southwest monsoon. We can expect more rains on Saturday (tomorrow) here in Visayas,” Quiblat warned.
Small fishing vessels are requested to be cautious due to strong winds.
Quiblat added that the rainfall volume in Cebu has already exceeded beyond the average.
As of yesterday, Pagasa Mactan has recorded more than 150 millimeters of rain. The average rainfall for August is 148.2 millimeters.
The months of August and September are the peak of the rainy season in the Philippines. These months normally see two to four tropical storms.
Pagasa noted that as Jolina exits from the Philippine area of responsibility on Sunday, Cebu can expect better weather conditions next week.