COLDER NIGHTS AHEAD – PAGASA

STATE weather forecasters yesterday said that the cool breezes wafting through the metro are giving people a foretaste of cold nights as the country moves toward the Yuletide.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (Pagasa) forecaster Benison Estareja, said this was due to the equinox on September 23, when day and night were of equal length.

But he added that the full effect of chilly mornings during the holiday season have yet to be felt.

The lowest temperature monitored in Baguio City, for example, was still within the normal range at around 15.1 degrees Celsius.

Estareja said the coldest weather would be felt in December.

Meanwhile, Pagasa said on Friday that the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) would continue to affect the province of Palawan and parts of Mindanao.

According to the 4 p.m. weather bulletin, Palawan, Davao, Zamboanga Peninsula, ARMM, and Soccsksargen will experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Kalinga, Aurora, and the rest of Metro Manila will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers because of localized thunderstorms.

Strong gale force winds due to northeasterly winds will affect Batanes, Babuyan, northern coast of Cagayan, and Ilocos Norte.

Pagasa advised fishermen with small boats not to venture into the sea.