Fair weather to prevail on first day of 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Fair weather will prevail over most parts of the country, including Metro Manila, this New Year apart from isolated rains due to the northeast monsoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Monday.

The weather bureau said Cagayan Valley and Cordillera would remain cloudy with light rains.

The low-pressure area, formerly Tropical Depression Usman, enhanced the northeast monsoon, which would bring light rains over Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region and the provinces of Aurora and Quezon, according to PAGASA.

The trough or extension of the weather system also continued to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Palawan on Monday.

Usman left the Philippine area of responsibility on Sunday after leaving at least 68 people dead.

The weather disturbance dumped heavy rains in several areas in the Bicol region and Eastern Visayas that triggered landslides and flashfloods.

Usman was the 21st and the last cyclone that hit the country in 2018.

The Philippines, among the world’s most disaster-prone countries, experiences an average of 20 cyclones a year.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured families displaced by Usman of assistance.

The agency’s Disaster Response and Management Bureau reported that around 3,488 families or 13,469 individuals are temporarily staying in 112 evacuation centers in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), Bicol and Eastern Visayas.

The DSWD urged the public to remain alert due to sporadic rainshowers brought by the northeast monsoon.

“As we celebrate the New Year, we ask the public to keep safe because of the intermittent rains that continue to affect the country,” DSWD spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Glenda Relova said.  – With Rainier Allan Ronda