Weather Today – January 9, 2018

January 9 marks the Feast of the Black Nazarene, wherein millions of Filipinos gather to join the Traslacion, a traditional procession that re-enacts the procession of the life-sized statue to Quiapo church.

According to security officials of Quiapo church, the number of devotees in the procession is expected to increase by five percent this year. To ensure safety, organizers announced a slight change in the procession route, wherein the Lagusnilad Bridge is no longer included.

Based on today’s forecast, a favourable weather condition is expected in Metro Manila. Temperatures will range from 23 to 31 degrees Celsius, indicating a warm and humid Tuesday. However, all are still advised to monitor updates and advisories as isolated rain showers or thunderstorms are still possible in the afternoon or evening.

Two weather systems prevail including the Northeast Monsoon or Hanging Amihan and Easterlies. Amihan is cold and dry air coming from Mainland China or Siberia, while Easterlies are warm and humid winds from the Pacific Ocean. Despite the opposite characteristics, both of these may bring rains.

Aurora, Quezon, Bicol Region, Caraga and Davao Region, as well as SOCCSKSARGEN, will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will have cloudy skies with scattered rains, while Ilocos Region and the rest of Central Luzon can expect partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains. The remaining parts of the archipelago will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers.

The country remains storm-free but PAGASA Weather Forecaster Shelly Ignacio said that the weather bureau is not ruling out the possibility of a weather disturbance developing in the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) in the next few weeks.