Rains expected over Visayas, Mindanao due to ITCZ

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is expected to affect weather conditions in the Visayas and Mindanao on Wednesday, September 16, the state weather bureau PAGASA said Tuesday.

The ITCZ is a region where the trade winds from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres converge. PAGASA said it is among the weather systems that can trigger the formation of low-pressure areas and tropical cyclones.

In its 4 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the ITCZ is expected to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over the Negros Island Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, CARAGA, Masbate, Lanao del Sur, and Davao Oriental.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon are also expected to have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.

PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja said the country is currently experiencing a monsoon break, or a temporary weakening of the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat).

As of 3 p.m., PAGASA was monitoring a tropical depression outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

The tropical depression was located 2,785 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon, with maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

Light to moderate winds and slight to moderate coastal waters are expected across the country. Wave heights are forecast at 0.6 to 2.5 meters in Mindanao and 0.6 to 2.1 meters in the rest of the country.

Sunrise in Metro Manila on Wednesday is at 5:45 a.m. —VBL, GMA News