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“Gorio” was last spotted at 545 km east-northeast of Tuguegarao City with maximum sustained winds of up to 105 kph and gustiness of up to 130 kph. Moving northwest at 15 kph, it is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Sunday evening if it maintains speed and direction.

The tropical storm continues to enhance the Southwest Monsoon or Hanging Habagat. Rains with gusty winds will be experienced in Batanes Group of Islands. Monsoon rains will prevail over Metro Manila and the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera, Central Luzon, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan).

Meanwhile, light to moderate rains and thunderstorms are possible in Visayas and the rest of Luzon. Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Habagat poured heavy rains yesterday, resulting to flooded roads, cancelled flights and class suspensions. Let us look back at the impacts of the monsoon rains in different parts of Metro Manila. Here are videos sent by Panahon TV Citizen Correspondents:

Tropical Storm “Gorio”, the seventh tropical cyclone that developed inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) this year, was last spotted at 615 kilometers east of Casiguran. Packing winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 105 kph, it is epected to move north-northwest at 9 kph.

The possibility for Gorio to make landfall remains slim but it will continue to enhance the Southwest Monsoon or Hanging Habagat. Habagat is composed of warm and moist winds that usually affect the western section of the country. It is triggered or intensified by a weather disturbance.

In the next hours, monsoon rains will be experienced in Metro Manila and the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera, Central Luzon, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal & Quezon) and the provinces of Mindoro and Palawan. Meanwhile, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will prevail in Visayas and the regions of Cagayan Valley, Bicol and the provinces of Marinduque & Romblon. Residents of Mindanao can expect partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

No tropical cyclone warning signals were issued but all are advised to monitor updates as heavy rains brought by Habagat may still result to flash floods and landslides.

Moderate to strong winds will also affect Luzon, bringing moderate to rough sea conditions. Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised to take extra caution.

In an interview with Panahon TV, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Shiella Reyes said Gorio is expected to leave the PAR on Monday or Tuesday next week.

Yesterday afternoon, #FabianPH left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). Now referred to as Tropical Storm “Roke” (International Name), it was last spotted at 385 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur. With maximum sustained winds of 65 kph and gustiness of up to 90 kph, it is expected to move northwest at 20 kph.

As this tropical storm travels farther away from the country, a Low Pressure Area (LPA) prevails within the PAR and was last located at 335 kilometers northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. PAGASA Weather Forecaster Robb Gile said this LPA may develop into a “bagyo” within the next 2 to 3 days and will be called “Gorio”, the 7th tropical cyclone this year.

Today, the combined effect of the LPA and enhanced Hanging Habagat will dump rains in several areas. Cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms will be experienced in the Eastern & Central Visayas and Caraga.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila, the rest of Visayas, the regions of Ilocos, MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon & Palawan), Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao and the provinces of Zambales and Bataan will have light to moderate rains and thunderstorms. The remaining parts of the archipelago can expect partly cloudy to cloudy skies with rain showers or thunderstorms.

Coastal waters along the northern and western sections of Luzon, eastern sections of Visayas and Mindanao will be moderate to occasionally rough while the rest of the country will have slight to moderate seas.

LPA develops into Tropical Depression Fabian

(8:00 AM UPDATE) The Low Pressure Area (LPA) in the Extreme Northern Luzon has developed into a tropical cyclone. At 7:00 A.M. today, the center of Tropical Depression Fabian was estimated at 45 kilometers (km) west-southwest of Basco, Batanes. It has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 65 kph, forecast to move west-northwest at 16 kph.

“Fabian,” will bring moderate to heavy rains within its 300-kilometer diameter. It is expected to cross Batanes and the Babuyan Group of Islands today. Areas under Signal Number 1 may bring medium damage to low-risk structures and slight damage to houses made of very light materials. Rice crops may suffer significant damage during their flowering stage.

Due to the tropical depression, rains with gusty winds are expected in the provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Babuyan Group of Islands, Apayao and Ilocos Norte. As an effect of the Habagat or the Southwest Monsoon, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced in the rest of Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, MIMAROPA, CALABARZON and Visayas. The Intertropical Convergence Zone, an area of wind convergence and series of LPAs, will also bring light to moderate rains in Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga and Davao Region. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail in the remaining parts of the country.

Meanwhile, another LPA was also spotted at 720 km east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur and may develop into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.

Heads Up! Be fascinated with these awesome and amazing Weather Phenomenon you might see one of these days here in the Philippines.

Weather is one of the most fundamental aspect of our daily lives. Changing over short period of time, weather still has a lot to offer for us to see. On this blog we gather some facts about rare yet awe-mazing weather phenomenon you must dream to see. Let’s Start!

Moon and Sun Halo
This phenomenon is a large optical ring forming around the the sun or moon. The ring is called halo. Halo are caused by ice crystals present in the atmosphere, wherein light coming from the sun or the moon reflect and refract on the tiny ice crystals creating a halo effect around it, it usually occurs when a high, thin cirrus clouds are present. This phenomenon is usually a signal that storms are nearby, because high and thin cirrus clouds are often indicators of rain.

Lunar Halo
Solar Halo –Photo Courtesy of Earthsky.org

Mammatus Cloud

Pouch-like in shape, usually develops underside of cumulonimbus cloud, mammatus is a rare type of clouds which forms when the sinking air is cooler than air around and having a high liquid water or ice content. Though this cloud is associated with thunder storm and its appearance may seems cause an extreme weather it is not necessarily an indicator of an upcoming severe weather

Though this cloud is associated with thunderstorm and looks like it will cause extreme weather condition it is not necessarily an indicator of an upcoming severe weather.

Photo Courtesy of: Inquirer.Net

Raining of Fish

Fish falling out of the sky?
Yes, It’s possible, Fish Rain or Raining Animals is a rare meteorological phenomenon in which flightless animals fall from the sky. Scientist explains that this bizarre event usually occurs when a waterspout or tornado formed over surface of water occurs sucks almost anything in the water including fish, eels, frogs and other marine organism. Those animals can be carried by buffeting cloud even when the waterspout stops spinning.

Photo Courtesy of: worldweatheronline.com

Fire Rainbow (Iridescence Cloud)

Iridescence Cloud or now known to millennials as unicorn cloud it is a rare weather phenomenon appears like a distorted rainbow embedded in clouds. It occurs when there is a tiny water droplets or small ice crystals present in the atmosphere which diffracts and scattered light from the sun, creating a colorful rainbow-like effect on the cloud. This phenomenon is called cloud iridescence or irisation. The term comes from Iris, the Greek personification of the rainbow.

Lenticular Cloud

A Lenticular Cloud over Kanlaon Volcano, Photo Courtesy: phivolcs-dost Facebook Page

Also known as flying saucer cloud and sometimes mistaken for a UFO. Lenticular clouds are a stationary cloud forms at high altitudes in the sky. Usually appears in Mountainous areas, this type of cloud forms aligned or perpendicular to the direction of winds.

Those are some of the awe-mazing weather phenomena that one might dream to see someday. Most of these are rare and will only happen within a certain period of time with right weather condition. But if you’re in luck to see one these amazing weather occurrence take a moment to realized how astounding our nature is, to offer such beautiful sights for us to enjoy.

By Panahon TV Intern – Ramon Santiago

In an interview with Panahon TV, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Robert “Obet” Badrina said no weather disturbance or tropical cyclone is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). However, the active Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) will continue to bring rains in most parts of the archipelago.

The ITCZ, where winds from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet, prevails in Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced in Visayas, Bicol Region, MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Zamboanga Peninsula, Caraga and the provinces of Aurora and Quezon. Metro Manila and the remaining parts of the country can expect partly cloudy to cloudy skies with chances of rain showers or thunderstorms.

During the rainy season, the Southwest Monsoon or Hanging Habagat is usually dominant. But this year, the Habagat’s effect is observed only in the coastal waters and not in our landmass. Badrina explained that the absence of a weather disturbance influences the intensity of Habagat in our country. Once a tropical cyclone develops again within our premises, it may trigger the enhancement of the Southwest Monsoon.

Although PAGASA did not issue a gale warning, moderate to occasionally rough seas are expected in the western section of Luzon. The rest of the country will have slight to moderate seas, making sea travel safe for fishing boats and other small seacraft.

Habagat is back; rains affect Luzon areas

After a week of Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) dominating the weather, the western section of Luzon is being affected by the Southwest Monsoon again.

In an interview with PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza, he explained that the Southwest Monsoon colloquially known as Habagat refers to warm and moist air coming from the southwest direction. This usually prevails in July to September, bringing moderate to heavy rains, which may last for three to seven days or more with the presence of a weather disturbance.

As this weather system prevails, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced in the Ilocos Region, MIMAROPA, Aurora, Zambales, Bataan, Batanes and the Islands of Calayan. Meanwhile, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with rain showers or thunderstorms will affect the rest of the country of the country including Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, the Philippines will remain storm-free within the next two to three days.

 

On July 16, 1990 at 4:26 PM, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck parts of Luzon particularly Regions 1, 2, 3, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Southern Luzon and Metro Manila. Among the hardest hit was Baguio City, where several structures collapsed, burying hundreds of people. Some of the destroyed establishments included hotels such as the Hyatt Terraces Plaza, Baguio Park Hotel and Nevada Hotel.

Claiming more than a thousand lives and leaving massive damage, the event was listed among the world’s largest and deadliest earthquakes. 27 years after this quake, we get to know Sandy Montano, one of the survivors of this earthquake, who’s now an advocate of disaster preparedness.

Buried for Three Days
When Sandy was still a nursing student in Baguio City, she personally experienced the quake. The boarding house she was staying in collapsed and pinned her down. She was trapped under the rubble for three days, surviving without any food or water.

At first, she tried to keep calm and shouted for help. But the city was in chaos, she failed to get attention. She kept the faith and continued praying.

On the third day, hopelessness set in. “N’ung akala ko wala ng pag-asa, nagsabi na ako ng last prayer ko, nagdasal na lang ako na sana kahit makita lang ‘yung cadaver ko.” (I lost hope so I said what I thought was my last prayer. I prayed that rescuers would at least recover my dead body.) After a few hours, a sniffing dog traced her and caught the attention of the rescuers.

Sandy and her three friends were the only survivors from their neighborhood. After their rescue, they went to Burnham Park, the only open area which was safe from the collapsing structures. For days, they fed themselves raw egg mixed with sardines, the only ready-to-eat food from the relief goods.

The stench of the decaying bodies became unbearable for her so she left Baguio City and went home to her family in Pangasinan. Despite the aftershocks, Sandy braved the zigzag roads and along the way, saw people who died from landslides. When she reached home, her family, thinking she was already dead, was so shocked to see her. “Akala nila multo ako.” (They thought I was a ghost.)

Weeks after the quake, Sandy was traumatized, hardly able to sleep and eat. The slightest sound such as the door closing would scare her. Instead of returning to Baguio, she continued her studies in Manila and finished nursing at the United Doctors Medical Center.

Photo Courtesy: https://lakansining.files.wordpress.com

From Being Trapped to Being on Top
Eventually, her experience made her realize her true purpose in life. While studying, she served as one of the volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross. She also devoted her free time to blood donation activities and first aid trainings. Her dedication was recognized when she was awarded a Diploma of Service and was chosen to represent the Philippines in Japan for Hajime No Ippo or the “First Big Step” Red Cross student exchange program.

When she returned to the country, she founded the Community Health Education Emergency Rescue Services (C.H.E.E.R.S.), a social enterprise that aims to supply communities with knowledge on disaster preparedness. C.H.E.E.R.S. empowers people to be globally competitive and highly skilled by providing internationally-certified training on Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and more.

Today, Sandy is an award-winning leader and entrepreneur. She has bagged several recognitions such as the 1st ASEAN Woman Leader, Outstanding ASEAN Woman Entrepreneur and one of the 100 Most Influential Global Filipina Women in the World.

Instead of losing hope, the tragedy served as her motivation to rise again, aim for success and help others. As a social entrepreneur, she believes that social businesses must have a genuine interest for the people’s welfare and development.

“Hindi ko naman ginagawa ang pagtulong sa ibang tao para mabigyan ng awards, pero nagpapasalamat pa rin ako,” she noted. (I am helping others not to gain fame or recognition but I am very thankful.)

Maximizing our Resources
Part of Sandy’s sustainable livelihood programs is the manufacturing of Tropika Flour made from tropical crops and vegetables from the Philippines. Using ingredients such as malunggay, camote, cassava and munggo, this flour is a healthier alternative to its conventional counterpart, which mainly uses starchy products.

Farmers who are also survivors of disasters are Sandy’s partners in this program. Apart from giving them a sustainable source of income, she also educates them on how to be part of a resilient community.  She wants to maximize on agriculture as a career and an effective tool to eradicate poverty.

Sandy’s story proves that there is life after a tragedy. Instead of debilitating her, Sandy’s experience paved the way for her to be a better citizen, to equip others to be prepared for such disasters, and to help those who, like her, have experienced them.

Rains in South Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao

A rainy weekend is expected in some parts of the country with the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in place.

According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Robert Badrina, the ITCZ affects Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced om Metro Manila, Visayas and the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Caraga. Meanwhile, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail in the rest of the country.

No weather disturbance is expected in the next two to three days.

3-DAY WEATHER OUTLOOK

In Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorm will prevail on Sunday but generally fair weather is expected to return by Monday. Meanwhile, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms will dominate Metro Davao in the next three days.