PAGASA: No storms seen in next 5 days

THERE is a low chance of a tropical cyclone forming within the next three to five days, the Philippines’ state weather bureau said on Sunday morning, but advised Filipinos to brace for scattered and isolated thunderstorms due to the shear line.

Daniel James E. Villamil, a weather specialist at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said easterly winds — warm, moisture-laden air from the Pacific — are dominating Luzon.

Meanwhile, the trough of Tropical Storm Koto, formerly known as Verbena, is still affecting the Kalayaan Island Group in Palawan.

A separate system, the shear line formed by the interaction of warm and cold air masses, is expected to bring cloudy skies, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Cagayan and Apayao, PAGASA said.

The northeast monsoon, or amihan, is also influencing weather conditions in Batanes, where overcast skies and light rains are expected.

The Visayas, Mindanao and the rest of Palawan will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers from localized thunderstorms, it added.

The country experiences about 20 storms annually due to its geographical location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana