As the New Year approaches, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said a rainy start to 2025 is expected, with several weather systems bringing scattered rains and thunderstorms to parts of the country.
PAGASA Weather Specialist Obet Badrina said on Tuesday, Dec. 31, that there are no low-pressure areas (LPAs) inside or near the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
None are expected to develop into tropical cyclones in the first few days of 2025, he added.
However, Badrina said rainy conditions may continue in parts of the Philippines due to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), easterlies, shear line, and the northeast monsoon (amihan).
Cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms may affect Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Negros Island Region, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Palawan due to the ITCZ—a weather system formed by the convergence of winds from the northern and southern hemispheres,
Similar conditions may prevail over Quezon and the rest of Bicol Region due to the easterlies, or warm winds from the Pacific Ocean.
Likewise, the shear line, which forms when cold winds from the amihan collide with warm winds from the easterlies, could bring cloudy skies, scattered rains, and isolated thunderstorms to Batanes, Cagayan, and Apayao.
Badrina warned that these weather systems could trigger flash floods or landslides in areas vulnerable to these hazards.
He added that the rest of the country, including Metro Manila, will experience fair weather conditions.
The amihan may have minimal impact on Ilocos Region, the rest of Cagayan Valley, and the rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region, where only partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains are expected.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the easterlies.