LOVEBIRDS who are planning to hold outdoor dates this Valentine’s Day in the Bicol region, Visayas and Mindanao, prepare to shift gears to your Plan B.
State weather bureau Pagasa has monitored a low-pressure area (LPA) near the equator, 1,710 east southeast of Mindanao as of 3 am.
Although it is still far from the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the LPA’s trough or extension, will start to bring rains to large parts of the country today.
And guess what, it’s possible the LPA will enter PAR and literally and figuratively throw the wet blanket on Valentine’s Day.
Weather forecast today
Benison Estareja, Pagasa weather forecaster, said the LPA’s trough will affect Caraga and Davao regions today, February 12. The Northeast Monsoon will still continue to be the prevailing weather system in Luzon.
He said the LPA is part of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the band of clouds consisting of showers, with occasional thunderstorms, that encircles the globe near the equator.
Luzon
Eastern Luzon, particularly in Aurora, Quezon, Bicol region will have cloudy skies with light rains.
The rest of Luzon will be generally fair until noon. But it will be hot and humid around past noon, especially in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley and Ilocos Region.
Visayas
Eastern Visayas especially Southern Leyte will have isolated rain showers.
The rest of Visayas may also experience sporadic rains, but generally the weather will be fair. Past noontime, it can get very hot, too at 31°C.
Mindanao
The LPA’s wings will first fly over Caraga region and Davao Oriental today. Estareja said the rains will be light to moderate. However, in the afternoon, there may be thunderstorms that will bring heavy rains.
Other parts of Mindanao will be generally fair. Isolated rain showers and thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.
Weather outlook on February 13-15
Luzon: Excluding the Bicol region, most parts of Luzon will be generally fair starting Monday to Wednesday. So lovers can stroll, watch the sunset or go to the beach during dates. But due to the LPA trough, there may be light showers here and there.
Bicol Region: The Bicol region will start getting light to moderate rains tomorrow.
Visayas: Visayas will experience thunderstorms with sporadic rains tomorrow afternoon.
But during the entire day of Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, the skies in the eastern and central sections skies will be quite gloomy. There will be light to moderate rains, and at times heavy rains with thunderstorms.
Estareja warned of possible floodings and landslides due to severe thunderstorm events.
Mindanao: The party pooper LPA will start ruining Mindanao’s week. The skies will be quite dull, and thunderstorms may happen in pockets.
If LPA enters Mindanao on Tuesday, heavy rains will dump Mindanao areas, particularly in the Davao Region, Caraga and SOCCKSARGEN.
Heavy rains in CDO
Valentine’s Eve: Heavy rainfall (as much as 41 mm per hour) will start pouring in Cagayan De Oro on Monday around 6pm, data from Czech weather aggregator Windy showed. It may extend to Iligan City, Lanao Del Norte, Ozamiz and Oroquieta cities around 8pm.
Davao and SOCKKSARGEN regions may also receive heavy rainfall (around 8-10mm per hour) Monday night.
Valentine’s Day: Pagadian in Zamboanga Del Norte and surrounding towns will likely receive 24 mm per hour heavy rainfall on Valentine’s Day.
Windy is using data from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), a European global forecast that is widely regarded as one of the best and most reliable model in the world. It is run by an independent intergovernmental entity supported by 34 European nations.
Temperature check
Pagasa’s mercury dropped lowest in Baguio City around 6am at 14.3°C yesterday. It seems that the flowers are going to be in full bloom in time for the Valentine’s Day last-minute harvests.
Malaybalay in Bukidnon and Tanay, Rizal were also a bit chilly below 20°C yesterday.
Tayabas, Quezon, Subic, Tuguegarao City and Abucay in Bataan had quite cold early mornings yesterday, too.
| Station Name | Temperature (°C) | Time of Occurence |
| Baguio City, Benguet | 14.3°C | 06:00 AM |
| Malaybalay, Bukidnon | 18.6°C | 06:00 AM |
| Tanay, Rizal | 19.9°C | |
| Tayabas, Quezon | 20.0°C | 04:00 AM |
| Subic, Zambales | 20.7°C | 06:05 AM |
| Tuguegarao City, Cagayan | 20.8°C | 07:00 AM |
| Abucay, Bataan | 20.9°C | 05:00 AM |
| Basco, Batanes | 21.0°C | 08:00 AM |
| General Santos City, South Cotabato | 21.1°C | |
| Science Garden, Quezon City | 21.1°C | 06:00 AM |
Meanwhile, San Jose in Occidental Mindoro again registered the hottest temperature in the country at 35.8°C.
Major cities in Mindanao — Cotabato, General Santos, Butuan and Dipolog — had highs of 32-34°C, too.
If Subic and Quezon City had a cold morning yesterday, their afternoon was punishing. Mercury upswings in those two areas reached 33°C levels. The Pagasa weather station at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay had a high of 32.7°C temp as well.
| Station Name | Temperature (°C) |
| San Jose, Occidental Mindoro | 35.8°C |
| Cotabato City, Maguindanao | 34.6°C |
| General Santos City, South Cotabato | 34.0°C |
| Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur | 33.6°C |
| Subic, Zambales | 33.2°C |
| Science Garden, Quezon City | 33.2°C |
| Davao City, Davao del Sur | 33.0°C |
| NAIA, Pasay City | 32.7°C |
| Butuan City, Agusan del Norte | 32.5°C |
| Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte | 32.2°C |
Weather at a glance
| Place | Weather Condition | Caused By | Impacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caraga and Davao Oriental | Cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms | Trough of LPA | Possible flash floods or landslides due to light to moderate with at times heavy rains |
| Visayas, the rest of Mindanao, and Palawan | Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms | Localized Thunderstorms | Possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms |
| Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon | Partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with light rains | Northeast Monsoon | No significant impact |
Extended Weather Outlook in Select Cities
| Cities | Sunday February 12, 2023 | Monday February 13, 2023 | Tuesday February 14, 2023 | Wednesday February 15, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baguio City |  24°C 14°C | 24°C 14°C | 24°C 15°C | 24°C 15°C |
| Cagayan De Oro City |  30°C 23°C |  29°C 23°C | 29°C 23°C | 29°C 22°C |
| Iloilo City / Bacolod City | 31°C 25°C | 31°C 25°C | 32°C 25°C | 32°C 25°C |
| Kalayaan Group Of Islands | 32°C 26°C | 31°C 25°C | 31°C 25°C | 31°C 25°C |
| Laoag City | 30°C 21°C | 31°C 21°C | 31°C 21°C | 32°C 22°C |
| Legazpi City | 30°C 25°C | 30°C 24°C |  30°C 24°C | 29°C 24°C |
| Lipa City | 30°C 23°C | 30°C 24°C | 30°C 24°C | 31°C 24°C |
| Metro Cebu | 31°C 25°C | 31°C 25°C | 31°C 24°C | 30°C 24°C |
| Metro Davao | 32°C 24°C | 32°C 24°C | 32°C 23°C | 32°C 23°C |
| Metro Manila | 32°C 22°C | 32°C 22°C | 32°C 21°C | 32°C 21°C |
| Puerto Princesa City | 31°C 26°C | 31°C 25°C | 31°C 25°C | 32°C 25°C |
| Sbma (Olongapo) / Clark Zone (Angeles City) | 32°C 21°C | 32°C 21°C | 32°C 22°C | 32°C 22°C |
| Tacloban City | 31°C 25°C | 31°C 24°C | 30°C 24°C | 30°C 24°C |
| Tagaytay City | 30°C 20°C | 30°C 20°C | 30°C 19°C | 30°C 19°C |
| Tuguegarao City | 31°C 21°C | 32°C 22°C | 32°C 22°C | 32°C 22°C |
| Valencia City | 30°C 19°C | 30°C 18°C | 30°C 18°C | 29°C 18°C |
| Zamboanga City | 32°C 24°C | 33°C 24°C | 33°C 24°C | 32°C 24°C |
