Northeast Monsoon, Tail-end of Cold Front Bring Rains on Thursday

Expect cloudy skies with light rains in most parts of the country due to two weather systems affecting the country on Thursday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

In an interview, PAGASA weather forecaster Shelley Ignacio said northeast monsoon or “hangin amihan” now prevails over Luzon while a tail-end of a cold front affects Eastern Visayas.

Ignacio said there is no weather disturbance seen near the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) which may affect the country in the next three days.

She added the state weather bureau still expects one more cyclone to affect the country before the year ends.

The next tropical cyclone will be locally named “Nonoy”, the 14th tropical cyclone to affect the country this year.

For Thursday forecast, Ignacio said the presence of tail-end of a cold front will bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms over Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Northern Mindanao and Zamboanga Peninsula.

The tail-end of a cold front serves as the front boundary of two air masses, hot and cold, that produces clouds and rain.

Ignacio said due to the northeast monsoon Luzon will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains while the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

The northeast monsoon or “hanging amihan” is the cold wind from China and Siberia that blows into the country from late October until mid-February. It is usually associated with the Christmas season.

She noted the state-run weather bureau also issued a gale warning due to the effects of the northeast monsoon as the sea condition would be rough to very rough due to strong to gale force winds expected to affect the seaboards of Northern Luzon and eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon.

“Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” it warned.

In its advisory, PAGASA said moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Luzon and Visayas and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the northeast with slight to moderate seas. (PNA) JBP/CLTC