One to two storms expected in December, says Pagasa-Mactan

But generally fair weather expected for the month

An aerial shot of Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

Cebu City, Philippines –One or two tropical cyclones are expected in this December, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration in Mactan (Pagasa-Mactan) said.

Pagasa said this is the normal number of storms on the last month of the year.

But historical data shows that there is only a 60-70 percent chance that any tropical cyclone entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) in November and December will impact the Visayas region.

While the specific landfall areas are uncertain, residents are still advised to stay informed about the weather conditions and prepare accordingly.

It can be recalled that super typhoon Odette hit the Visayas in December of 2021.

Fair Cebu weather

But generally, Pagasa-Mactan says fair weather is expected in the region for majority of December.

Engineer Al Quiblat, chief of Pagasa-Mactan said that the recent rainfall condition forecast for the Central Visayas, including Cebu,  expects to fall within the normal range.

READ MORE: LPA monitored by Pagasa-Mactan, hot weather still prevails in Cebu

The normal conditions would represent 80 to 120 percent of the average normal rainfall for December, suggesting a balanced amount of precipitation.

Quiblat told CDN Digital on Thursday, November 30, that considering the average rainfall data collected over the past 30 years (1991-2020), the average amount of rainfall in December is 171.9 millimeters.

Therefore, the forecasted normal range translates to an expected rainfall between 137.52 and 206.28 millimeters in December.

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon, or “Amihan,” is also anticipated in December.

The average temperature for December is expected to be slightly higher at  around 27.6 to 27.7 degrees Celsius for Cebu.

It’s worth noting that thunderstorms are expected throughout the month, ranging from daily occurrences to severe weather events with heavy rainfall.

Despite the absence of the typical December chill, residents are urged to stay vigilant and adapt to the fluctuating weather conditions during the holiday season.

/bmjo