ITCZ to bring scattered rain showers over Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, Palawan
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Friday, May 16 said the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a weather system where winds from the northern and southern hemispheres converge, will continue to bring rain showers across Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, and Palawan this weekend.
PAGASA weather specialist Grace Castañeda explained that the ITCZ is expected to cause cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rain showers, which could trigger flash floods or landslides, particularly in areas vulnerable to these hazards.
Castañeda also noted the possibility of a low pressure area developing along the ITCZ, particularly east of Mindanao, in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country will likely experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies in the morning, with a high chance of localized rain showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening, due to the prevailing easterlies.
Easterlies are warm, moisture-laden winds from the Pacific Ocean that often bring rain, especially during the transition from the warm and dry season to the wet season.