MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos should pray that rain would not dampen the oath taking and inauguration of president-elect Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III at midday of Wednesday, a weather forecaster said yesterday.
Manny Mendoza, forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said a low-pressure area (LPA) that has been spotted at around 2 p.m. yesterday and the prevailing inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) may bring rains during the oath taking and inauguration of Aquino at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.
But Mendoza believes miracles can happen and that these weather disturbances may still move away from the country before Wednesday.
“We at the Pagasa only give the weather information but the truth is it is the Lord who gives the rain. So if the Filipino people, especially the 15 million who voted for Senator Aquino, would just pray to God that it will not rain... (the) ceremony would go well,” Mendoza said.
He said there is a possibility that the LPA would be weakened by the high-pressure area (HPA) located east of northern Luzon.
The weather forecaster said they have been closely observing the formation of “cloudiness” some 135 degrees east of the Philippines or in the Pacific Ocean. But it was only at 2 p.m. yesterday when the LPA officially entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).
As of 5 p.m. yesterday, the LPA was estimated on satellite and surface data at 910 kilometers east of Visayas, embedded along the ITCZ affecting southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Mendoza said that by today, it might move closer to eastern Visayas, then in Samar by tomorrow, and by Wednesday it would move up east of northern and central Luzon.
“On inauguration day, there is a big possibility that the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat would bring rains over Visayas, Mindanao and Southern Luzon,” Mendoza said.
He explained that during the months of May, June and July, the ITCZ only brings rains in the afternoon and evening, but since there is already a southwest monsoon involved, it can rain anytime of the day.
For today, Pagasa said southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao would experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms.
The rest of the country would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.