Rains to prevail on school opening

MANILA, Philippines — The state weather bureau advised the public yesterday to expect more rains in the first week of June that would coincide with the opening of classes in public elementary and high schools.

Esperanza Cayanan, head of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA, said the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), a rain-producing weather system, would start to be active in early June.

She said the ITCZ is expected to dump rains over Mindanao during this period.

The opening of classes in public elementary and high schools is set on June 4.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will continue to experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with chances of thunderstorms in the afternoon from the last week of May to first week of June.

Cayanan advised students to bring foldable fans, towels and umbrellas and drink lots of water, as warm weather will still prevail in the morning until early afternoon.

She said thunderstorms are expected in the afternoon that may trigger flashfloods in low-lying areas.

As the rainy season draws near, the official also cautioned students to stay away from conductors of electricity like trees to avoid lightning strikes.

Cayanan said in June, the eastern section of the country, including Bicol area and some parts of Northern Mindanao and Visayas, would experience above normal rainfall.