The trough or extension of a new weather disturbance is affecting the country. Aside from this, Tail-end of a Cold Front and the Northeast Monsoon are also dominant.

In an interview with Panahon TV, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza said that the Low Pressure Area (LPA) in Mindanao has dissipated but a new weather disturbance is being monitored outside PAR.

Due to the new LPA’s trough or extension, Visayas and Mindanao will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will make flash floods and landslides possible. For Metro Manila, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Bicol Region, cloudy skies will be experienced with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. Over Cagayan Valley Region, residents can expect cloudy skies with scattered rains. In Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region partly cloudy to cloudy skies can be enjoyed only with isolated rains.

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.

Vinta, the country’s 22nd tropical cyclone this 2017 brought rains to Mindanao that inundated parts of the region.

Here are some scenes of flooding caused by the storm:

Tropical Storm Urduja remains almost stationary as it moves off the coast of Eastern Samar.

At 10:00 AM, the storm was at 240 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar. It has maximum winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 90 kph. Based on PAGASA’s 11:00 AM weather bulletin, scattered to widespread rains will continue over Eastern Visayas and Caraga and are expected to prevail over Bicol Region and the rest of Visayas within 24 hours. By coordinating with their respective local government and disaster risk reduction and management offices, residents of these areas should take precautionary measures against flooding and landslides.

Moving northwest at 5 kph, Urduja is expected to make landfall over Northern Samar – Eastern Samar area tomorrow. It is also forecast to cross Visayas and Southern Luzon before weakening into a Low Pressure Area (LPA) on December 20.

Ahead of the storm’s landfall, several areas in Samar Island have been submerged with floods:

WEATHER TODAY
Nineteen areas remain under tropical cyclone warning signals, alerting residents to stay alert for possible flash floods and landslides.

Today, Samar provinces and Biliran will experience a stormy weather. The rest of Eastern Visayas, Bicol Region, Romblon, Marinduque, Northern Cebu, Capiz, Aklan, Northern Iloilo, and Dinagat Islands will experience rains with gusty winds. Likewise, the rest of Visayas and Mindanao, CALABARZON, and the provinces of Mindoro and Palawan will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorm. In the rest of Luzon including Metro Manila, cloudy skies will prevail except for scattered rains.

The Low Pressure Area (LPA) east of Mindanao has intensified into a Tropical Depression and was given the local name Urduja, the country’s 21st tropical cyclone this year.

At 10:00 AM today, Tropical Depression Urduja was at 405 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar. It has maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 65 kph, moving north-northwest at 7 kph. According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Chris Perez, it may intensify into a Tropical Storm within the next 36 hours and hit the Southern Bicol Region or the northern part of Samar Provinces on Saturday.

As Urduja heads towards the landmass, Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas will experience cloudy skies with scattered to widespread rain showers and thunderstorms, which may trigger flash floods and landslides. In Mindanao, the rest of Visayas, MIMAROPA and CALABARZON, cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms may cause flash floods and landslides. Cloudy skies with scattered rains will prevail in Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and the rest of Central Luzon. Meanwhile, Ilocos Region will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains.

Because of the surge of Amihan, gale warning is still in effect in seaboards of Northern Luzon and eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, 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, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Aurora, Catanduanes; the northern and eastern seaboards of Camarines Provinces; the eastern coasts of Albay, Sorsogon, and Quezon including Polilio Island; northern and eastern coasts of Northern Samar; and the eastern coast of Eastern Samar.

After a short break last week, the Northeast Monsoon is back and has further intensified.

Today, the Northeast Monsoon or Amihan brings cool breezes and rains in Northern and Central Luzon. Meanwhile, the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and Easterlies dampen Mindanao, and the eastern sections Southern Luzon and Visayas, respectively.

Today, Quezon, the Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas and Mindanao will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. In Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon, partly cloudy to cloudy skies will be experienced with isolated light rains. In the rest of the country, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers will prevail.

Gale warning is still raised in the northern seaboards of Northern Luzon. These include Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, and the northern coasts of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte. Due to rough to very rough seas, fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out while larger vessels are alerted against big waves.

Cooler Days Ahead
Temperatures continue to dip as the Northeast Monsoon, the cold and dry air from Siberia, intensifies. Yesterday, a chilling 16.6 degrees Celsius was recorded in Baguio City. In Tanay, Rizal 17 degrees Celsius was recorded, while the temperature dropped to 21 degrees Celsius in Infanta, Quezon. The surge of Amihan is expected in January and February.

The Low Pressure Area (LPA) southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan has developed into a Tropical Depression and was given the local name #TinoPH.

At 10:00 AM today, the Tropical Depression was located at 245 kilometers east-southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. It has maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) with gustiness of 80 kph, moving in a west-northwest direction at a speed of 28 kph. It is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility tomorrow morning.

This weather disturbance is expected to make landfall in Southern Palawan this afternoon, between 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal Number 1 was hoisted in the said province.

Meanwhile, residents of MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), the Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Caraga and Panay Island are alerted against possible flash floods and landslides. Metro Manila, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), and the province of Aurora will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms.

Sea travel is risky in the seaboards of Palawan due to moderate to rough seas brought by Tropical Depression #TinoPH.

The Low Pressure Area (LPA) in Palawan has dissipated, leaving the Northeast Monsoon or Amihan as the dominant weather system in the Extreme Northern Luzon.

The Northeast Monsoon, locally known as Amihan, is characterized by cold and dry air coming from mainland China or Siberia. During this season, a generally fair weather prevails but rains are still possible.

As this weather system prevails today, Batanes and Babuyan Group of Islands will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains. For the rest of the country including Metro Manila, a generally fair weather or partly cloudy to cloudy skies will be experienced except for isolated rain showers.

ASEAN 2017

Twenty heads of state, foreign media and delegates are in the Philippines to attend the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits this week. A generally fair weather is expected to prevail as related meetings continue in key locations including Metro Manila, Pampanga and Bulacan.

In an interview, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Chris Perez said that no weather disturbance is expected to affect the country within the next two days.

A brewing tropical cyclone and the Northeast Monsoon or Amihan will dump rains in most parts of the country as we observe the annual All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day or Undas.

At 3:00 AM today, the Low Pressure Area (LPA) was spotted at 125 kilometers east of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte. According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Gener Quitlong, the LPA is forecast to hit Visayas and Northern Palawan. It may also intensity into a tropical cyclone before exiting the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). Meanwhile, the Northeast Monsoon is dominant in Northern Luzon.

Today, Aurora, Quirino and Quezon will experience cloudy skies with scattered light to moderate rains and thunderstorms. Visayas and the regions of MIMAROPA, Bicol, Caraga, Davao, Northern Mindanao and the rest of CALABARZON will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms. In Metro Manila, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Cordillera and the rest of Cagayan Valley Region, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains will prevail. In Ilocos Region and the rest of Central Luzon, partly cloudy to cloudy skies will be experienced with isolated light rains. In the rest of Mindanao, partly cloudy to cloudy skies will prevail with possible isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Those who will flock to cemeteries across are encouraged to bring umbrellas as rains are likely to continue until Friday. Here’s the special weather outlook for Undas 2017: