Pagasa weather update. GRAPHICS BY INQUIRER
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Pagasa has advised Cebuanos to expect occasional rains in the coming days due to warm Pacific winds known as easterlies, and possibly more intense downpours over the weekend if the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) shifts northward from Mindanao.
Engineer Al Quiblat, chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Mactan (Pagasa Mactan), said Cebu would continue to experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with chances of isolated rain showers or thunderstorms, especially in the afternoons and evenings.
READ: EXPLAINER: What do color-coded rainfall warnings mean?
“Naa ta sa epekto sa easterlies — init nga hangin gikan sa Pacific Ocean. Maka-cause siya og partly cloudy skies ug mga pag-ulan, ilabi na sa hapon, gabii, o sayong buntag,” Quiblat said in an interview with CDN Digital on Wednesday, June 18.
(We have the effect of the easterlies — warm air from the Pacific Ocean. It can cause partly cloudy skies and rains, especially in the afternoon, evening and early morning.)
He said the public should not be complacent as localized thunderstorms can still trigger sudden heavy rains, particularly when large cumulonimbus (CB) clouds form in the afternoon.
“Usahay kusog gyud ang mga pag-ulan kung naa’y ma-develop nga thunderstorm. Mao nang angay gyud magbantay,” he added.
(Sometimes, heavy rains will happen if a thunderstorm would develop. That is what we should look out for.)
READ: Pagasa’s online weather monitoring platform gets major tweaks
Looking ahead to the weekend, Quiblat said there would be a higher chance of more frequent and heavier rains if the ITCZ currently affecting Mindanao moves closer to the Visayas.
“If maapektuhan ang Central Visayas sa convergence zone, mas daghan gyud ang ulan nga atong masinati,” Quiblat said.
He urged residents, especially those in low-lying and flood-prone areas, to stay alert, monitor official weather updates, and prepare accordingly.