PAGASA: No rains ‘til Christmas Day

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu will continue to experience sunny weather until Christmas Day, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astrono-mical Services Administration.

PAGASA Mactan chief meteorologist Al Quiblat said fair weather is seen to prevail as there is no expected tropical cyclone or low pressure area to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility until Friday.

“We will be having sunny days ahead as there are no major or large-scale systems, so far, that will affect our weather,” he said.

He added that there is also a very low chance of rain. Despite fair and sunny weather, Quiblat said cold weather will also prevail as temperatures continue to drop as low as 24 degrees Celsius even if Visayas is not directly affected by the tail-end of a cold front, which is forecasted to affect eastern section of central and southern Luzon.

 He said for the succeeding days, temperature will range from 24-30 degrees Celsius due to the prevailing wind — northeast monsoon or Amihan.

 In its 11 p.m. weather bulletin on Monday, 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 to east with slight to moderate seas.

PAGASA Visayas director Oscar Tabada earlier said that Cebu’s temperature and rainfall will be “below normal and way below normal.”

He said long dry spell has started last month and will be experienced until January next year while drought will take effect from February to May.

  During the dry spell, rainfall is expected to reduce by 21 to 60 percent than the average rainfall—November has 158.4 mm; December has 144.9 mm; and January has 118.9 mm.

 Normal rainfall would be lower by more than 60 percent during drought. During this period, the average rainfall would be 79.3 mm in February; 62.8 mm in March; 44.3 mm in April; and 103.1 mm in May.  (FREEMAN)