Expect more frequent late afternoon or early evening rain showers and thunderstorms in the coming days due to the prevailing southwesterly wind flow which signals that the rainy season is drawing near.
According to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration weather specialist Gener Quitlong, the southwesterly surface wind flow currently affecting the western section of Luzon and Visayas will bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers or thunderstorms in Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Aklan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay today.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms.
Rains, especially during severe thunderstorms, could trigger flash floods or landslides over low-lying and mountainous areas, Quitlong warned.
According to PAGASA, the declaration for the onset of rainy season is based on several criteria, which include a total rainfall amount of 25 millimeters or more with three consecutive days having at least one mm of rainfall per day.
This is for weather stations belonging to Type 1 climate or areas with distinct wet and dry seasons: Laoag City (Ilocos Norte), Vigan City (Ilocos Sur), Iba (Zambales), Dagupan City (Pangasinan), San Jose (Mindoro), Ambulong (Mindoro), Iloilo, and Metro Manila.
For Metro Manila to be counted under this criterion, at least two out of the three Metro Manila stations must have satisfied the first criterion, simultaneously, in Science Garden (Quezon City), Port Area (Manila), and Sangley Point (Cavite) weather stations.
Quitlong said PAGASA has not issued a gale warning on Saturday thus fisherfolk and seafarers are safe to sail. (Ellalyn V. Ruiz)