Rains seen in NCR, other parts of Philippines by end-2020

MANILA, Philippines — Several parts of the country including Metro Manila could end the long year that is 2020 with rains, state weather bureau PAGASA said on Tuesday. 

The agency in its three-day forecast said the National Capital Region will see cloudy skies and high chances of rain by December 31, stretching until Jan. 1, 2021. Weather condition is expected to improve by January 2, with only isolated light rains expected. 

Baguio, meanwhile will experience the same until the second day of the new year, while Legazpi City in Albay will see moderate to ocassional heavy rains due to the tail end of a frontal system. 

Generally fair weather, in turn, will prevail over Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, apart from chances of isolated rainshowers by afternoon or night, PAGASA added.

A low pressure area has been sighted outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility and was last seen at 975 kilometers east southeast of Mindanao. This, however, has a low chance of entering the country and is unlikely to become a storm. 

Areas in extreme northern Luzon such as Batanes, Babuyan Islands and Ilocos Norte, meanwhile, will experience cloudy skies and rains beginning tonight due to the effects of the prevailing northeast monsoon or amihan. 

The tail-end of a frontal system will continue to affect the eastern part of Northern Luzon such as in Cagayan and Aurora which will see scattered rains and thunderstorms. 

It will also affect weather condition tomorrow Wednesday, Rizal Day, in various areas such as Ilocos, CAR, Cagayan Valley, Bicol Region, Aurora, Quezon and Mimaropa, bringing scattered rains and thunderstorms.

Fair weather is expected in Metro Manila and in the remaining parts of Luzon by December 30, with chances of rain by afternoon or night due to localized thunderstorms.

The tail-end will also bring rains over the entire Visayas and Northern Mindanao including Caraga and Davao region tomorrow, while the rest of Mindanao will see generally fair weather.

As of December 29, gale warning is raised in the following areas with PAGASA warning of rough to very rough seas where wave height could reach as high as 4.5 meters: 

Northern seaboards of northern Luzon (Batanes, northern coast of Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, northern coast of Ilocos Norte)

The Philippines saw 22 storms this year in total, the strongest being Super Typhoon Rolly (international name Goni) but Typhoon Ulysses (international name Vamco) causing the highest death toll of over 100 and cost of damage at more than P20 billion.

Following the string of typhoons to hit Luzon, the entire island was placed under a state of calamity, leaving millions affected and thousands of homes destroyed on top of the the country grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Weather forecasters also announced the onset of the La Niña in October, seen to prevail until March 2021 that could bring the country above normal rainfall conditions. — Christian Deiparine

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