'Crising' may signal start of rainy season - Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines – The rainy season might be starting early in the country as a low pressure area in Mindoro developed into tropical depression "Crising," state weather forecasters said Thursday. Nathaniel Cruz, chief weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Service Administration (Pagasa), told GMA News that Crising was spotted 380 kilometers west of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro province. Crising is the third tropical cyclone to hit the country but is the first one since summer began. Cruz said that Crising’s arrival was as good as saying that summer is almost over. "Sa pagkakroon natin kay Crising, ito na halos ang ang simula ng tag-ulan [Crising's arrival indicates that the rainy season is almost starting]," said Cruz, describing the weather disturbance’s movement as "quasi-stationary." Crising packed maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center. It is expected to be 32o kilometers west of San Jose by Saturday morning. Pagasa also noted a low pressure area (LPA) near Albay province, further bolstering weather forecasters’ suspicion that the rainy season is just around the corner. The two weather disturbances are expected to bring occasional rains over southern Luzon and the Visayas, and frequent downpours over the Bicol region, Quezon, Mindoro, Marinduque, Masbate, and Samar. Cruz, however, said that Pagasa has yet to come out with an official weather advisory declaring the start of the rainy season, adding that they have yet to monitor other factors affecting the weather in the country. "Ito ang ating titignang mabuti. Ang batayan namin ay hindi lang ang pagdami ng ulan, maging ang ihip ng hangin dapat nanggagaling sa timog kanluran [We will look into this. We are basing the start of the rainy season not only on the number of cyclones entering the country but also the direction of the wind, should be coming from southwest]," Cruz stressed. No public storm signal was raised as of posting time. - GMANews.TV