Pagasa’s weather forecast issued at 4 p.m. today, January 15, 2019.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — This year’s first tropical depression may greet the Fiesta Señor, more popularly known as the Sinulog Festival, the state weather bureau said Tuesday.
Netherlen Seletrero, weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in Mactan, said they are currently monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
Seletrero said there is a high chance that the LPA would develop into a tropical depression before it enters PAR in the eastern border of Mindanao on Friday afternoon.
If the LPA would develop into a tropical depression, it would be the first typhoon and will be named ‘Amang.’
“LPA pa man siya so erratic pa ang iyang movement. But we are looking at two possibilities. First is magpabilin lang sya sa kadagatan ug dili lang maglandfall and second is mo-cross gyud siya sa Visayas from southern Cebu and will directly pass through northern Cebu,” Seletrero told CDN Digital on Tuesday.
Seletrero said the LPA will rain starting on Saturday afternoon or during the solemn foot procession and was projected to continue on Sunday, January 20.
“Okay pa sa fluvial procession pero on the foot procession na na pag-uwan-uwan,” she added.
The fluvial parade will be conducted pre-dawn on Saturday that will bring the image of the Sto. Niño from Mactan Island (where it was brought the night before) to Cebu City port area, from where it will be brought to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño on foot, after which a reenactment of the Christianization of Cebu will be held.
The solemn foot procession, which will be conducted in the afternoon of the same day, is one of the highlights of the Sinulog celebration, held on the eve of the Sto. Niño feast and attended by thousands of devotees.
On Sunday, January 20, the culminating activities will be held, starting with the 8 a.m. Pontifical Mass at the Basilica at 8 a.m. and the staging of the mardi gras-like grand parade along key routes in the city starting at 9 a.m. /elb