MANILA, Philippines — A low pressure area (LPA) within the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) will strengthen the southwest monsoon, locally known as “habagat,” which will cause rain over several parts of the country on Thursday, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
In a weather report early Thursday, Pagasa weather specialist Grace Castañeda said that the LPA within the PAR was last spotted 975 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon.
This LPA, said Castañeda, is unlikely to escalate into a storm but could still turn into a tropical depression.
Meanwhile, a tropical depression outside PAR was also spotted 1,915 kilometers east of Northern Luzon, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 70 kph.
Castañeda said Pagasa predicts it will escalate into a tropical storm within the next 24 hours, remaining unlikely to enter PAR as it moves west northwest.
“Kasalukuyan, itong mga sama ng panahon na ito ay nageenhance ng southwest monsoon na kasalukuyang nakakaapekto sa bahagi ng Southern Luzon at Visayas,” said Castañeda.
(Currently, these bad weather conditions are enhancing the southwest monsoon that is currently affecting parts of Southern Luzon and the Visayas.)
“At itong southwest monsoon ang magdudulot ng pagulan sa ilang bahagi ng Southern Luzon at Central Luzon ngayong araw,” she added.
(And this southwest monsoon will bring rain in some parts of Southern Luzon and Central Luzon today.)
Due to this, Castañeda said rain will prevail over parts of Luzon, specifically in the southern and central parts including Bicol Region, Aurora, Quezon, and Zambales.
The rest of Luzon meanwhile will have generally fair weather, including Metro Manila, with chances of rain in the afternoon and evening.
The rest of Luzon meanwhile will have generally fair weather, including Metro Manila, with chances of rain in the afternoon and evening.
Mindanao, and Visayas, on the other hand, are forecast to have slightly cloudy to overcast skies with chances of rain, also due to the southwest monsoon.
Despite the presence of an LPA and tropical depression, no gale warning was raised by Pagasa, according to Castañeda, but moderate to strong sea conditions are expected over Easter, Southern Luzon’s seaboards.
The state weather service said the temperature range in key cities/areas across the country for Thursday will be:
Metro Manila: 25 to 33 degrees Celsius
Baguio City: 17 to 24 degrees Celsius
Laoag City: 25 to 32 degrees Celsius
Tuguegarao: 25 to 33 degrees Celsius
Legazpi City: 25 to 32 degrees Celsius
Puerto Princesa City: 25 to 33 degrees Celsius
Tagaytay: 22 to 31 degrees Celsius
Kalayaan Islands: 25 to 33 degrees Celsius
Iloilo City: 25 to 33 degrees Celsius
Cebu: 26 to 32 degrees Celsius
Tacloban City: 26 to 32 degrees Celsius
Cagayan De Oro City: 24 to 31 degrees Celsius
Zamboanga City: 24 to 34 degrees Celsius
Davao City: 25 to 32 degrees Celsius
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