Rainy weekend expected in most parts of PHL

National Capital Region (NCR) weather map on Friday (Photo from PAGASA)

MANILA – The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) advised the public to bring umbrellas due to expected light to moderate rains in most parts of the country until the weekend.

In an interview, PAGASA weather forecaster Manny Mendoza said on Friday that they continue to keep watch of a low pressure area and southwest monsoon affecting southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Mendoza said that as of 5 a.m. Friday, the LPA is already inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). It was spotted some 420 km west of Iba Zambales (15.0˚N, 116.0˚E).

Mendoza said the LPA has high chance to intensify into tropical depression within the next 24-36 hours.

Once it intensifies into a tropical cyclone it will be locally called “Jenny,” the 10th for this year and the first for this month.

He noted the tropical depression will not linger inside the PAR as it is expected to move towards Vietnam or southern China.

However, Mendoza said the weather disturbance will enhance the southwest monsoon which will bring rains in most parts of the country.

For Friday forecast, Mendoza said cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms will prevail over Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), Eastern and Central Visayas, Caraga, Northern Mindanao and the provinces of Aurora and Quezon.

He noted the rest of the country including Metro Manila will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.

In its advisory, PAGASA said light to moderate winds blowing from the northeast to northwest will prevail over Northern and Central Luzon and coming from the southwest to west over the rest of the country. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate.

The state weather bureau also did not issue a gale warning as fishermen are safe to venture into the sea.