The easterlies or the warm wind originating from the Pacific Ocean that brings warm and humid weather conditions remained the dominant weather system in the country, affecting Visayas and Mindanao, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Saturday, May 1.

The easterlies will bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers and localized thunderstorms in Metro Manila and the rest of the country, weather specialist Loriedin dela Cruz said.

“Sa natitirang bahagi pa ng Mindanao, generally fair weather or kaya naman good weather dahil nga ang easterlies ang prevailing ngayon sa malaking bahagi ng ating bansa, sa Visayas at Mindanao. Dahil nga ang easterlies ang dominante, asahan natin ang mainit, ang maalinsangan na panahon at gayundin mararamdaman din ito sa malaking bahagi ng Luzon (In the remaining parts of Mindanao, it will be generally fair weather or good weather because the easterlies prevail now in most parts of the country, in Visayas and Mindanao. Because easterlies remain dominant, expect warm and humid weather and it will be felt in large parts of Luzon),” she said in a livestreamed 4 a.m. weather forecast.

She said in the next 24 hours, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with a slim chance of rains in the morning and noon.

“Pagdating naman ng hapon at gabi, hindi natin inaalis ang occurence ng mga thunderstom, but very isolated lamang yan at panandaliang pagbuhos lang yan (In the afternoon and evening, we don’t eliminate the occurence of thunderstorms, but it's very isolated and sudden downpours),” dela Cruz said.

She said maximum air temperatures today, May 1, may reach 34 degrees Celsius in Metro Manila, and in Tuguegarao City “so warm and humid weather will be experienced from noon and early afternoon.”

In the PAGASA’s daily forecast, dela Cruz said in the next three days, Visayas and Mindanao will only experience thunderstorms that may cause rains, especially in the afternoon and in the evening.

PAGASA cautioned the public that flash floods or landslides may occur during severe thunderstorms.

The coastal waters in the whole country will be slight to moderate, with wave heights reaching up to 2.1 meters, it said.