PAGASA advises Vis-Min: Brace for heavy rains today

Residents of Visayas and Mindanao should brace for heavy rains as the brewing cyclone threatens to make landfall over the eastern section of Visayas or Mindanao on the first day of 2018.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather forecaster Samuel Duran said the low pressure area (LPA) has entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) early yesterday and could still intensify into a tropical depression.

It was estimated at 910 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur before Sunday noon and is expected to develop into tropical depression “Agaton” within 48 hours.

Duran said the weather dis-

turbance could make landfall over Eastern Visayas or Eastern Mindanao between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.

He warned of heavy rains over Eastern Visayas and the entire Mindanao as the weather system approaches these areas.

PAGASA said the potential cyclone may cross Mindanao beginning Monday until Tuesday and bring moderate to heavy rains, which could trigger flash flood and landslides.

Likewise, cloudy skies with occasional to frequent rains is expected over Eastern Visayas caused by the southward migration of the tail-end of cold front — the boundary between warm and cold air masses.

Should this weather disturbance develop into a cyclone, PAGASA said maritime operations along the eastern seaboard of Mindanao, particularly Surigao, Davao Oriental, Dinagat Island, and Siargao, and eastern seaboard of Leyte and Southern Leyte will be disrupted.

Meanwhile, the tail-end of a cold front will bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas, which could trigger flash floods or landslides over low-lying or mountainous areas.

The northeast monsoon or amihan will bring scattered rains over Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Aurora, and Quezon, while isolated rains will persist over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.

Coldest morning

Meanwhile, the state weather bureau recorded the coldest morning of 2017 in Metro Manila early yesterday morning with the mercury dropping to 20 degrees Celsius.

PAGASA said the lowest temperature reading in Metro Manila was observed at around 6 a.m. from the monitoring station in Quezon City.

The coldest day in history in Metro Manila was registered twice on February 4, 1987 and Dec. 30, 1988 at 15.1 degrees Celsius.