Residents of Eastern Visayas and Caraga were told to be vigilant against possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains that the combined effects of easterlies and intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) may bring. (MB Visual Content Group)
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Weather Specialist Rhea Torres on Saturday, April 29, said two weather systems — easterlies and ITCZ — may bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in parts of Visayas and Mindanao. “Ang panahon natin lalo na sa Visayas at Mindanao, particularly eastern Visayas at Caraga areas, asahan natin na magiging maulan ngayong araw [dahil sa epekto ng ITCZ at easterlies] (Our weather in the Visayas and Mindanao, particularly the eastern Visayas and Caraga areas, we expect it to be rainy today due to the effects of the ITCZ and easterlies),” said Torres in a public weather forecast. Easterlies are the warm and humid winds from the Pacific Ocean. ITCZ, on the other hand, is a weather system that forms when winds from the northern and southern hemispheres converge. Although these weather systems may trigger scattered rain showers, PAGASA said Metro Manila and the rest of the country may still expect generally fair and humid weather in the next 24-hour period. “Patuloy pa rin nating pinapayuhan ang ating mga kababayan na bawasan ang matinding outdoor activities sa dakong 10 a.m. hanggang 4 p.m. dahil yan ang mga oras na nakakarecord tayo ng maximum temperatures (We continue to advise the public to reduce intense outdoor activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. because those are the times when we record maximum temperatures),” Torres stressed. The use of sun protection is strongly advised if sun exposure is unavoidable, the state weather bureau said.