A glimpse of the Cebu City skyline. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Weather in Cebu will be generally fair in the next five days, according to the latest forecast of Pagasa-Mactan.
It will be sunny to partly cloudy days with a 50 percent chance of passing rain showers due to localized thunderstorms in Cebu, Pagasa said.
Engineer Al Quiblat, chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Mactan (Pagasa-Mactan), said there will be no weather disturbances such as low-pressure areas and tropical cyclones expected in the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) for the forecast period.
Wind conditions are predicted to range between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour, accompanied by temperatures ranging from 26 to 33 degrees Celsius.
However, residents of Cebu should brace for hotter weather in the next two days, as the heat index is expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius.
Last November 22, Pagasa forecasted a “strong” El Niño present in the Tropical Equatorial Pacific.
READ: El Niño dry spell seen to prolong consumer price risks in PH
According to Quiblat, this conclusion is drawn from the notable rise in sea surface temperature anomaly, a key indicator of El Niño conditions.
El Niño, characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific, tends to influence global weather patterns.
In the case of Cebu, while the presence of El Niño is confirmed, its significant impact is anticipated to manifest between the months of January and April.
During this period, Pagasa said the weather in the region is characterized by altered precipitation patterns, increased temperatures, and other associated climatic changes.
“Maka experience ug dry condition in January ang Cebu up to na sa April. Mao na ang pangandaman nato,” Quiblat said.
The Pagasa chief has strongly recommended that the general public begin practicing rain harvesting and adopt measures to optimize daily water consumption to mitigate potential water shortages during the hot weather and the drought season.