Cold weather is expected to persist in Luzon over the weekend, while rains will likely prevail across the country due to the northeast monsoon and the tail-end of a frontal system, the state weather bureau said.
In its latest weather update issued Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the tail-end of a frontal system or "shear line" will continue to affect the Bicol Region and Quezon province bringing cloudy skies with scattered rain showers.
According to PAGASA weather specialist Shelly Ignacio, flash floods or landslides are possible in these areas due to moderate to heavy rains.
In Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera Administrative Region, cloudy skies with light rains will be experienced caused by the prevailing northeast monsoon or "amihan."
PAGASA added that the amihan will also bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon this weekend.
In Visayas and Mindanao, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers will prevail due to localized thunderstorms which could also bring possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms.
PAGASA earlier said that temperatures will continue to drop until February or March due to amihan which brings winter winds from the Siberian region to the country.
Based on PAGASA's monitoring, the coldest temperature on Friday was 15 degrees Celsius (°C) recorded in its automated weather station in Baguio City at 1:50 a.m, followed by the 15.1 °C in La Trinidad, Benguet around 8 a.m.
La Trinidad recorded the lowest temperature so far this year at 9.5 °C last January 10, while the coolest temperature in the National Capital Region so far for 2021 was 20.6 °C registered on January 12.
Meanwhile, due to the surge of amihan, strong to gale force winds will be experienced over the eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon, PAGASA added.
With this, a gale warning was raised over the northern and eastern coasts of Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, northern and eastern coasts of Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes
Sea travel remains risky, especially for small sea crafts, over seaboards where a gale warning was raised due to rough to very rough sea conditions and wave height of up to 4.5 meters, PAGASA warned.#