More rains are expected ahead for Cebu this week until classes start next week, the Mactan office of the state weather bureau Pagasa said yesterday.
Pagasa Mactan chief meteorologist Al Quiblat said the rains are caused by the local convective activity affecting Central Visayas.
He said the intense heat triggered the formation of more cumulonimbus clouds associated with thunder storms. Last Monday’s rain produced 88 millimeters’ worth of rainfall in just two hours.
Quiblat said it was classified as intense rain since it surpassed the 35-millimeter amount of rainfall that usually occurs in one hour. Thunderstorms are expected to occur mostly in the afternoon or in the evening.
Quiblat said the rains may become more intense and frequent by July to August due to the “habagat” or southwest monsoon.
Quiblat said they are expecting the La Niña phenomenon to occur during the second half of this year based on historical data that showed that La Niña usually occurs at the end of the El Niño phenomenon.
Quiblat said the El Niño phenomenon that started late last year and lasted in the first half of the year was worse than the 1998 El Niño phenomenon.
He said residents should bring umbrellas while local government units should prepare their contingency plans for the La Niña.