PAGASA: Short rains expected due to easterlies, ITCZ

Short rainfalls may be experienced in the country due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and easterlies amid the extremely hot weather, state weather bureau PAGASA said on Tuesday.

During the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview, PAGASA's Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Ana Liza Solis was asked if the rains in eastern Mindanao will continue and if these will also happen in other areas.

“Meron kasi tayong ITCZ na nanatiling nakakaapekto dyan sa may eastern Mindanao. So usually, panandalian lang ito kapag dumaan lang yung ITCZ and hindi siya magkakaroon ng mga matitinding pag-uulan na matagal,” she said.

(The ITCZ will continue to affect eastern Mindanao. So usually, it is only short-term rainfall just when the ITCZ passes and it won't be long heavy rains.)

“Dito naman po sa parte ng Luzon at Visayas, so meron din tayong mga easterlies na posibleng magbigay ng mga local thunderstorm activities. So ito mga short duration rainfall lang yan kasi mga localized effect lang yan dahil sa sobrang o tinding init ng temperatura,” she added.

(In Luzon and the Visayas, we also have easterlies that may give local thunderstorm activities. So these are only short duration rainfalls because they are only localized effects due to the extremely high temperature.)

Many areas in the country have been experiencing “extreme danger” and “danger” levels of heat index.

PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja said the highest heat index in the country since last year was recorded on Sunday in Iba, Zambales at 53°C.

PAGASA on March 22 declared the start of the warm and dry season in the country and the start of the El Niño phenomenon on July 4 last year.

Since 2023, the United Nations has warned the public of “global boiling.”

“The era of global warming has ended, the era of global boiling has arrived,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in June 2023. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News