Pagasa sees rainy week ahead

MANILA, Philippines - The low-pressure area spotted the other day over Northern Mindanao dissipated yesterday but weathermen said rains would continue to prevail over some parts of the country this week.

Benjie de Paz, weather plotter at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the southwest monsoon would induce rains over the country in the next few days.

“The southwest monsoon is likely to become the dominant system this week. But it can still change,” De Paz told The STAR in a phone interview.

The prevalence of the southwest monsoon is one of the criteria of PAGASA in officially declaring the onset of the rainy season.

Another criterion is recording of at least 25 millimeters of rain in five out of eight PAGASA stations nationwide for five consecutive days.

Meanwhile, the inter-tropical convergence zone affecting Northern Luzon would bring mostly cloudy skies, scattered rains, and thunderstorms over the area.

PAGASA said the western section of Central Luzon and Mindanao would also have cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms.

The rest of the country, including Metro Manila, will have partly cloudy skies with isolated rains and thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon or evening.

De Paz said no tropical cyclone is expected to affect the country this week.