PAGASA: Heavy rains dampen Christmas Day

Metro Manila, Philippines - Large areas in the Philippines are experiencing a rainy Christmas Day this year, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

In its 11 a.m. advisory, PAGASA said Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes will experience heavy to intense rainfall from Wednesday, Dec. 25, until Thursday noon due to the shear line, where warm and cold air meet, and the Intertropical Convergence Zone, a belt of low pressure.

Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Marinduque, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, and Northern Samar are expected to have moderate to heavy rains.

The northeast monsoon, or amihan, will bring cloudy skies with rains over Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region, while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains over Ilocos region.

The easterlies, or winds coming from the east, will bring an overcast day for the rest of the country with partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA warned of flooding and landslides due to heavy rains associated with weather systems.

The state weather bureau continued to monitor Tropical Storm Pabuk, which was outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility. Locally known as “Romina,” the tropical cyclone has no direct effect on the country’s weather.