GOOD NEWS! Shear Line the Scrooge that killed 17 people in Mindanao and Visayas during Christmas holiday has weakened, state weather bureau Pagasa said.
The bad news is Pagasa has monitored another weather system that might dampen the holiday spirit this year in almost the same areas where Shear Line wreaked havoc last week. Let’s pray that the LPA will dissolve soon.
LPA within PAR
The Low-Pressure Area was estimated around 475 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.
“Base sa ating pinakahuling datos, di pa natin inaalis ang posibilidad, maaari pa ring humabol at maging bagyo ang low-pressure area na ito, lalo pa’t nasa karagatan ito ng ating bansa, nasa loob nga ng Philippine Area of Responsibility. Bagamat sa ngayon, maliit pa rin ang tsansa pero patuloy pa rin nating imo-monitor,” Pagasa weather specialist Obet Badrina said in his 4am briefing.
The LPA will bring today moderate to heavy rains to the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga and Davao regions. The rest of Mindanao will be cloudy with isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms.
There will also be rains in Palawan and in Visayas today brought by the trough or the tail-end of the LPA.
Badrina said the LPA is expected to move towards northwest, and might bring rains to the Bicol region on Friday, December 30.
Northeast Monsoon
The Northeast Monsoon, on one hand, is still bringing a lot of clouds today to the Philippines.
Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Aurora, Quezon and Bicol Region will experience moderate rain showers, though there are times the rain fall would be heavy.
Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will still continue to have least effect on Northeast Monsoon. The forecast is generally fair: partly cloudy to cloudy skies with light rains.
Flood advisories
Pagasa has issued four red general flood advisories today as a result of non-stop rains brought by Shear Line last week and LPA today. A red flood alert means flooding would be “extreme” and the water level in river systems is at critical level.
The areas with red flood alerts are:
EASTERN VISAYAS: Leyte, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar
CARAGA: Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur
NORTHEN MINDANAO: Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Camiguin, Bukidnon
ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA: Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Sur
An orange general flood advisory was also issued in Palawan. Pagasa issues orange flood alert to areas with severe flooding, and the river system has also reached critical level.
Gale warning
Strong to gale-force winds brought by the Northeast Monsoon continue to threaten the lives of fishermen using only smaller boats.
Sea conditions would be very rough in almost all over the archipelago with waves as high as 16 feet or equivalent to a 2-story building.
| Seaboard | Sea Condition | Wave Height (meters) |
|---|---|---|
| The seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon | Rough to very rough | 2.8 – 5.0 |
| The eastern and southern seaboards of Southern Luzon | Rough to very rough | 2.8 – 5.0 |
| The western seaboard of Southern Luzon | Rough to very rough | 2.8 – 4.5 |
| The seaboards of Visayas and the eastern seaboard of Mindanao | Rough to very rough | 2.8 – 4.5 |
Banner photo courtesy: Claver, Surigao del Norte FB page
