“Ramil” brings rains in Vis-Min areas

CEBU, Philippines - The Visayas and Mindanao areas won’t feel the brunt of typhoon “Ramil” directly, but will experience effects of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) said yesterday.

Yesterday, PAG-ASA Cebu weather specialist 1 Ned Saletrero said “Ramil” has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) with its eye spotted 1,170 km east of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 130 (kilometers per hour) kph near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph. It is expected to move northwest at 26 kph.

PAG-ASA weather observer 4 Boy Artiaga, meanwhile, said heavy rains will be experienced in some parts of the country, which causes flooding, like what happened in the southern part of Negros Oriental particularly in the city of Bayawan.

“Didto ang daghang uwan, baga ang dag-om ngadto, landslides possible sa bukid bukid nga areas,” Artiaga told The Freeman.

Saletrero also explained that the rains in Negros are more concentrated.

“Mas concentrated ilang ulan didto. Nakapakusog sa Habagat, padung ang flow sa air sa Negros area,” she said.

She further said there are many mountainous areas in Negros and the topography has a great influence on possible flooding.

“Ang pag-flow sa air, mubangga sa bukid, musaka ang hangin ilabi na adunay moist, then there will be condensation process, which will eventually become rain,” Saletrero explained.

She stressed that PAGASA has issued rainfall advisory in the area since October 1 but the rain, despite being light to moderate, has been consistent.

“Light to moderate pa to (last October 1) pero sunod sunod, ang tubig ni-saturate sa yuta, wala nay time ang yuta to infiltrate under the ground. Nagka-build up na karon, nadugangan ug heavy rain, dili na maka-absorb ang yuta, saturated na gyud ang yuta nila ngadto, dili na maka-absorb ug more water,” Saletrero said.

The ITCZ affecting the Visayas area is normal, she says.

“Normal nga naka-affect nato and ITCZ, mao kini ang panagtagbo sa duha ka hangin, ug kana nga area nga ilang gitagboan mau na ang convergence zone. Unya mosaka gihapon ni ang hangin, same thing would happen, mo-condense and it would fall as rain,” she said.

On its website’s forecast, Palawan, Western Visayas and Mindanao will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.

Yesterday, heavy rains were experienced in mountain barangays in Cebu City.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the northwest to southwest will prevail over Northern Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough.

Light to moderate winds coming from the northwest to southwest will prevail over the rest of the country with slight to moderate seas. — (FREEMAN)