PAGASA: Scattered rains may mar Noynoy inauguration

Scattered rainshowers may mar the inauguration of President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III as the country's 15th president on Wednesday, state weather forecasters said late Monday. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said this is due to an inter-tropical convergence zone and a low-pressure area (LPA). "On June 30, Luzon and Visayas will experience scattered rainshowers concentrated over the western sections, while Mindanao will have improved weather by Wednesday afternoon," PAGASA said in a special weather outlook for the presidential inaugural ceremony Monday evening. It said the ITCZ, which is likely to affect most parts of the country, may move northward due to the expected approach of an LPA to the Visayas. Earlier, PAGASA forecaster Elvie Enriquez said the LPA may bring rains especially on Wednesday, although it has little chance of intensifying into a cyclone. "Bagama't malabo ito maging bagyo dahil nakalapit na sa land mass, maaring magdulot ito ng pag-ulan lalo na sa Miyerkules kung kailan gagawin ang inauguration," Enriquez said in an interview on dzBB radio Monday morning. (While the LPA has little chance of becoming a cyclone, it will bring rains especially on Wednesday during the inauguration.) "So maghanda lamang tayo sa araw ng Miyerkules maaring magkaroon ng pag-ulan (So we must be ready for possible rains on Wednesday)," she added.

Organizers of Aquino's inauguration have readied umbrellas for people going to Quirino Grandstand to watch the event. Public Works Undersecretary Romeo Momo said some 100,000 Filipinos expected to attend the event would be given umbrellas if it rains during the occasion. "Kung uulan, ang committee may handang payong at ibibigay sa mga tao... May mga tents ang media outfit ang siniguradong kokover at instrumento nila inaalagaan," Momo said in an interview on dzXL radio. (If it rains, inauguration committee members have prepared umbrellas for distribution to the audience. They also have tents for media covering the event.) Momo said last-minute additions to the Quirino Grandstand, the venue of the inauguration, included additional platforms for the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and platforms for media outfits. "Nililinis na lang natin ang surroundings at totally itu-turnover namin nang buo ang grandstand (We are cleaning the surroundings and will turnover the grandstand)," he said. For Monday night, PAGASA said the northward movement of the ITCZ will bring scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The rains will become widespread over the eastern sections until Tuesday, it added. On the other hand, PAGASA's 5 p.m. bulletin said the LPA was estimated at 120 km East of Surigao as of 2 p.m., embedded along the ITCZ. "Central and Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy over the Eastern section of Visayas and Mindanao with scattered to widespread rains. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening," it said. Light to moderate winds coming from the East to Southeast will prevail over Northern Luzon and coming from the Northwest and Southeast over the rest of the country. Coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate. - KBK, GMANews.TV