Portions of the country will experience rains due to a Low Pressure Area (LPA) within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

At 3:00 a.m., this weather disturbance was spotted at 615 kilometers east-southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Chris Perez, the LPA has a slim chance of developing into a Tropical Cyclone. However, Caraga and Davao will still endure cloudy skies with scattered to widespread rain showers and thunderstorms that may trigger flash floods or landslides. Eastern and Central Visayas, and the rest of Mindanao will likewise experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms.

Amihan, the cold and dry air from Siberia is also affecting Northern Luzon. This will bring light rains iin the regions of Cagayan, Cordillera, and Ilocos. The rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, and Western Visayas can enjoy generally fair weather though localized thunderstorms are still possible.

In Luzon, temperatures are also expected to soar. In Metro Manila, a scorching 33 degrees Celsius air temperature is anticipated today.
 

The Northeast Monsoon or Amihan has weakened, leaving Easterlies, the warm and humid aid from the Pacific as the dominant weather system.

With the presence of Easterlies, Caraga and Davao Region will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. Meanwhile, the rest of the country including Metro Manila, can expect a generally fair weather only with chances of isolated rain showers.

Gale warning has also been lifted.

A Tropical Depression is brewing outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

According to PAGASA weather forecaster Sheilla Reyes, two Low Pressure Areas (LPA) are still being monitored. The one inside PAR, spotted at 420 kilometers (km) east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, is expected to dissipate. However, the other LPA outside PAR may intensify into a Tropical Depression. Reyes said that the LPA was spotted at 1,975 km. east of Mindanao. Based on PAGASA’s analysis, it may develop into a Tropical Depression tomorrow and will be named ‘Basyang’, the country’s second tropical cyclone this 2018. It is forecast to enter PAR on Sunday or Monday.

On Monday evening or early Tuesday, it may hit Northern Mindanao and the southern part of Visayas before heading toward Palawan on Wednesday, February 14. PAGASA is not ruling out the possibility of the cyclone intensifying into a Tropical Storm (a cyclone with winds between 62 to 88 kilometers per hour) before landfall.

Although two weather disturbances surround the country, the Northeast Monsoon remains the dominant weather system. It will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains in the Cagayan Valley Region and Cordillera Administrative Region, while causing partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains in Ilocos Region. In the rest of the country including Metro Manila, partly cloudy to cloudy skies, or generally fair weather with isolated rain showers will be experienced.

With the surge of Amihan, gale warning is still in effect in the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon. These include coasts of Batanes, the Babuyan Group of Islands, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan and Isabela. Fishing boats and other small seacraft are prohibited from venturing, while larger sea vessels are alerted against rough to very rough seas.

A new weather disturbance was spotted outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza, though the Low Pressure Area (LPA), located east of Visayas, has a slim chance of developing into a Tropical Cyclone, it will still induce rains.

Due to the trough or extension of the LPA, Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms that can trigger flash floods or landslides. With the presence of the Northeast Monsoon, cloudy skies with scattered rains will be experienced in Cagayan Valley Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and the provinces of Aurora and Quezon. In the rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, generally fair weather will prevail except for chances of isolated rains. The remaining parts of the country can also enjoy fair weather conditions but with chances of localized thunderstorms.

Gale warning is still in effect in the northern seaboards of Northern Luzon, the western seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon, and the eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon. These include coasts of Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan and Isabela, Zambales, Bataan, Palawan, Aurora, Camarines Provinces, Catanduanes, and the eastern coast of Quezon including Polillo Island. Fishing boats and other small seacraft are prohibited from venturing while larger sea vessels are alerted against rough to very rough seas.

Once in a Blue Moon? You mean once every two and a half years. Blue moons are rare occurrences, but are not as rare as people think.

Tonight, the world will experience a “blue moon”, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

But in this case, the moon doesn’t literally turn blue. The moon is called blue when it’s the second full moon within a month. Usually, there is only one blue moon in a month, with of course, the exception of blue moons.
The lunar cycle is 29 days long, which means that eventually, there will be an appearance of two moons in one month. This usually happens when a full moon appears at the very start of the month, either on the first or second day.

A blue moon happens roughly once every two and a half years on average, the last two happened in August 2012 and July 2015. In rare cases, there are two blue moons in one year. The “double blue moon” occurred last 1999, and will happen again this year – one tonight, and another in March. On the other hand, when double blue moons occur in January and March, February does not have a full moon, partially because it only has 28 days.

Bluer than Blue
There have been cases of an actual “blue moon,” which are rarer than its conventional meaning. The moon changes hue when there are volcanic eruptions or large fires that leave particles in the atmosphere.

One of the longest times a blue moon occurred was when the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa erupted in 1883, equal to the blast of a 100-megaton nuclear bomb. People reported to have heard a cannon-like noise up to 600 kilometers away. Ash and particles about 1 micrometer wide rose up to the Earth’s atmosphere, causing selective light to pass through and reach the surface. The moon “turned blue” for days in areas near Krakatoa.

Reported sightings of a “blue moon” also happened after Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991. Forest fires are also a cause for blue moons because of the smoke and particles they create. In these occurrences, “lavender suns” are also reported to be seen, also caused by particles in the air.

Historical Mix-up
Originally, the blue moon was considered the third out of four full moons in a season (winter, spring, summer, fall). Each season usually experiences 3 full moons, hence the appearance of a 4th moon, or the Blue Moon, which came rarely and is considered the 13th moon in a year. This was based on Maine Farmer’s Almanac from 1819, which farmers used as reference for agricultural purposes.

However, in 1946, an article on Sky & Telescope misinterpreted the blue moon as the 2nd moon in a month, inferring from the idea that the blue moon appeared as the 13th full moon in a year. The article was titled “Once in a Blue Moon”, a phrase which integrated itself into pop culture meaning something that happens very rarely.
From this misinterpretation, a blue moon can be considered either of the following:
1. It is the extra full moon within a season, which usually has three moons (Maine’s definition); or
2. It is the second full moon within a month (Sky & Telescope’s definition).

The latter is the more popular and commonly used definition for a blue moon nowadays, with the other definition practically defunct.

Catch the blue moon tonight, peaking at 8:51 PM (Philippine Standard Time).

SOURCES:
http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-glossary.html#B
www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/what-is-a-blue-moon/

PAGASA
NASA

A new weather disturbance has developed within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

At 11:00 AM today, the Low Pressure Area (LPA) was at 300 kilometers east-southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. PAGASA Weather Forecaster Shelly Ignacio said, the LPA has a slim chance of developing into a tropical cyclone but will still dampen parts of Visayas and Mindanao.

The trough of the LPA will bring moderate to heavy rains over Palawan, the whole of Visayas, and CARAGA while light to moderate rains will prevail over Northern Mindanao. The Tail-end of a Cold Front will bring light to moderate rains over the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Romblon. Residents in these areas must undertake precautionary measures against possible flash floods and landslides and coordinate with their respective local disaster risk reduction and management offices.

Meanwhile, Northeast Monsoon is bringing rains to Northern and Central Luzon, and Tail-End of a Cold Front incudes rains in the eastern section of Southern Luzon. Today, Bicol Region, MIMAROPA, Visayas, Mindanao will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, making flash floods and landslides possible. In Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Aurora and Quezon, cloudy skies with scattered rains will be experienced. The rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies, or generally fair weather with isolated rains.

With the surge of Amihan, gale warning remains in the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon, down to the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, South, rn Luzon and Visayas. Affected provinces include Batanes; Babuyan Group of Islands; the northern coast of Ilocos Norte; Cagayan; Isabela; Aurora; the eastern coast of Quezon including Polillo Islands; the northern and eastern coasts of Camarines provinces; Catanduanes; the eastern coasts of Albay and Sorsogon; Northern Samar and Eastern Samar. In these areas, fishing boats and small seacraft are prohibited from venturing due to rough to very rough seas.

The country remains storm-free but heavy rains have caused massive floods in various areas in parts of Bicol Region.

This is caused by Tail-end of a Cold Front – an extension of a weather system that forms when the cold air mass dominates the warm air mass, causing interaction and rains.

Due to the inclement weather, classes have been suspended and flights have been cancelled in Naga City today. Here are some images of the floods in Lthe Region:

The Amihan or Northeast Monsoon, cold and dry air from Siberia, dominates the Extreme Northern Luzon.

In the next hours, Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte will experience cloudy skies with scattered rains. The remaining parts of Cagayan Valley, Cordillera, and Ilocos Region will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains. In the rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, down to Visayas and Mindanao, partly cloudy to cloudy skies, or generally fair weather will prevail only with isolated rain showers.

With the continued presence of the Amihan, temperatures dropped at 15.5 degrees Celsius in Tanay, Rizal on Thursday, while Baguio City and Itbayat, Batanes recorded 16.0 and 18.5 degrees Celsius, accordingly.

Gale warning is still in effect in the northern seaboards of Northern Luzon. These include coasts of Batanes, Babuyan Group of Islands, and the northern coasts of Cagayan and of Ilocos Norte. Fishing boats and other small seacraft are prohibited from venturing, while larger sea vessels are alerted against rough to very rough seas.

Today’s Philippine Weather Forecast: January 4, 2018

Tropical Storm Agaton has exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

At 3:00 AM, the weather disturbance with the international name “Bolaven” was located at 756 kilometers west-northwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Moving west at 25 kilometers per hour, the storm is expected to head towards Vietnam.

Despite the absence of a weather disturbance, some parts of Luzon and Visayas will experience rains induced by the Tail-End of a Cold Front and the Northeast Monsoon or Amihan. Today, Bicol and Samar will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms that may trigger flash floods or landslides. In Cagayan Valley, Cordillera, and Aurora, cloudy skies with scattered rains will prevail. In the rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, partly cloudy to cloudy skies will be experienced with isolated rains. The rest of Visayas and Mindanao will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers.

Because of the surge of Amihan, gale warning is still in effect in the northern seaboards of Northern Luzon, as well as the eastern seaboards of Northern, Central and Southern Luzon and Visayas, where wave height may reach up to 3.4 to 4.5 meters. Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out into the sea, while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves in Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan; the northern coasts of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte; Isabela; the eastern coasts of Cagayan, Aurora, Camarines provinces, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon and Quezon (including Polilio Island); Northern and Eastern Samar.

Monthly Overview

According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Rob Gile, the country is expected to remain storm-free in the next three days.
Based on climatological records, an average of 0 to 1 Tropical Cyclone may develop or enter PAR in January. It may hit Visayas and Mindanao or recurve away from the landmass.