Pagasa: Bring umbrellas today

MANILA, Philippines - The weather bureau advised yesterday protesters who will join rallies during the second of the State of the Nation Address of President Aquino to bring umbrellas as rains will prevail over most parts of the country today.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will have rainshowers and thunderstorms today due to a low pressure area off Borongan, Eastern Samar.

The rest of the country will experience partly cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms, PAGASA said.

PAGASA supervising undersecretary Graciano Yumul said the low pressure area is expected to intensify into a tropical cyclone tomorrow and will be given the local name “Juaning.”

As of 8 a.m. yesterday, the low pressure area was spotted at 450 kilometers east northeast of Borongan. It is embedded along the intertropical convergence zone.

Yumul said southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will continue to experience rainshowers and thunderstorms until Wednesday due to the southwest monsoon and Juaning.

Juaning is expected to affect northern Luzon areas early Wednesday morning.

“As of this moment there is no indication that it (Juaning) will make landfall,” Yumul said.

He said Juaning is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility on Thursday if it maintains its present speed and direction.