PAGASA: Wet summer sets in, rainy Holy Week looms

The wet summer has officially begun, even as Filipino Catholics may have to brace for a rainy Holy Week this April, state weather forecasters said. Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecaster Elvie Enriquez said this phenomenon can be attributed to global warming. "It is summer now. But like we said, this will be a wet summer so expect rains especially in the Visayas and Mindanao, which had been experiencing rains due to changes in weather systems," Enriquez said in Filipino in an interview on dzBB radio. She noted rains had fallen on parts of the Visayas and Mindanao in past weeks due to a cold front, low-pressure areas, and a wind convergence. Wet holy week Also, Enriquez said there will be rains during the Holy Week in the later part of April. "May mga pag-ulan na mararanasan lalo sa southern part... ito ay epekto ng Global warming talaga," she said Meanwhile, PAGASA said a low-pressure area (LPA) was spotted 810 km east of Mindanao as of 4 a.m. Tuesday, while a cold front is affecting Northern and Central Luzon. "Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and isolated thunderstorms. Northern and Central Luzon will be mostly cloudy with light rains. The rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms," it said in its 5 a.m. bulletin. Moderate to strong winds blowing from the Northeast will prevail over Luzon and Visayas and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the Northeast and East with slight to moderate seas. — LBG, GMA News