PAGASA: Afternoon, evening rain in next 24 hours

Rain showers and thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon and evening loom over the country in the next 24 hours, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Saturday. In its 5 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA noted a wind convergence may particularly bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to the eastern section of Southern Luzon. "The Eastern section of Southern Luzon will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. The rest of Eastern Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with light rains. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening," it said. Also, moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Northern and Central Luzon and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Earlier, PAGASA said the amihan (northeast monsoon) may mean cooler temperatures in the eastern provinces of Luzon. It also said the expected approach of a low-pressure Area (LPA) over Visayas and Mindanao embedded along the activated Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) will bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to the area on Saturday. This may become widespread rains over Mindanao, the eastern section of Visayas and Bicol region on November 1 and 2, it said in its special weather outlook for Undas. But it did not say if the LPA may intensify into a cyclone. If it does, it will be codenamed "Sendong." PAGASA also said the Northeast Monsoon, characterized by a cold and relatively drier weather condition, is expected to last until the first half of March 2012. It said the Northeast Monsoon may bring strong to gale force winds that may affect Northern and Central Luzon. It also advised residents over the coastal areas of Northern and Central Luzon not to venture out into the sea due to big waves generated by the strong to gale force northeasterly winds. Also, it said a shear line (convergence of northeasterly and easterly winds) will affect the eastern provinces of Luzon including Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Quezon and Camarines provinces and will bring light rains until Nov. 2. — LBG, GMA News