Rains to persist until Tuesday

THE shear line and easterlies will continue to influence weather conditions and bring rains large parts of eastern and northern Philippines until Tuesday, according to the state weather bureau on Monday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the shear line — the convergence of warm and cold air — is driving thick cloud cover over eastern sections of Northern and Central Luzon, while easterlies are bringing rain to parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.

Northern and Central Luzon, including Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Quezon, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Rizal and parts of the Cordillera, are expected to experience scattered rain showers and thunderstorms.

Continued rainfall is also forecast over Ilocos Norte and other areas of the Cagayan Valley due to the northeast monsoon, locally known as amihan.

Southern Luzon — particularly the Bicol Region and Mimaropa — along with Palawan, the Visayas, and northeastern Mindanao, including Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte, will see cloudy skies with intermittent rain and thunderstorms due to the Pacific Ocean, PAGASA said.

Metro Manila and much of the western sections of Southern Luzon are expected to have generally fair weather, though isolated afternoon or evening rain showers and thunderstorms remain possible.

Looking ahead, weather conditions in the Visayas are expected to gradually improve on Tuesday as easterlies weaken, while rainfall will persist over Eastern Luzon, including Aurora, Quezon, Isabela, Cagayan and the Bicol Region.

From Wednesday to Thursday, much of the country may see fairer weather, although isolated thunderstorms remain likely in the afternoons and evenings.

A renewed surge of the northeast monsoon is forecast to begin on Thursday, potentially bringing cloudy skies and rain to parts of Cagayan by Friday.

Despite these developments, PAGASA said no low-pressure areas are currently being monitored, and the likelihood of a tropical cyclone forming in the coming days remains low, with generally fair weather expected across most of the country by Christmas. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana