Jun 072013
 
Cebu Pacific: Several Saturday flights to be delayed due to Friday night rain in NCR

Passengers of air carrier Cebu Pacific may have to put up with flight delays on Saturday as a result of the downpour on Metro Manila Friday night. Cebu Pacific admitted this in a post on its Twitter account early Saturday, but did not immediately specify the affected flights. “Please be informed that several flights have been delayed due to rainfall from last night’s downpour in Manila. Please stay tuned for updates,” it said. Cebu Pacific also advised passengers who want to check their flight for Saturday to visit its website or call 70-20-888. On Friday night, heavy rain fell over parts of Metro Manila, causing floods in some areas. For Saturday, state weather forecasters said Metro Manila may expect more rain showers and thunderstorms. PAGASA also warned Tropical Depression Dante may bring rain that may trigger flash floods and landslides in parts of Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.  — ELR, GMA News

Jun 042013
 
May inflation stays flat

MANILA, Philippines – Prices of goods and services in the country stayed flat at 2.6 percent in May amid mixed price movements among commodity groups, the National Statistics Office reported on Wednesday. The indices for food and non-alcoholic beverages and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels registered higher rates while the indices of seven other commodity groups slowed down. The index for transport dipped while the education index retained its previous month’s rate, the state agency said. “This still leads us to an average inflation rate of 3 percent for the first five months of 2013, exactly at the low-end of the Development Budget Coordination Committee’s inflation target of 3 to 5 percent for 2013,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said. Inflation a year ago was at 2.9 percent. Headline inflation in the National Capital Region (NCR) grew to 1.8 percent in May, slightly higher than the 1.7 percent posted the previous month. A year ago, it was at 2.3 percent. Meanwhile, areas outside NCR inched slightly upward from 2.8 percent in April to 2.9 percent in May.

May 272013
 
Rainy Tuesday expected in NCR as rainy season looms

Metro Manila and nearby provinces may expect more rain on Tuesday, even as state weather forecasters on Monday cited shifting winds as another sign the rainy season is drawing closer. PAGASA forecaster Meno Mendoza said the country is beginning to feel winds from the south, with winds from the southeast coming soon. “Sa ngayon nalalapit na tayo (sa tag-ulan) dahil pinapakita na rin ng nararamdamang hangin narito sa southeast to south ang nararamdaman. Malapit na ito maging totally southwest,” Mendoza said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said the shift of the winds to southwest will likely occur between now and the first week of June. Mendoza noted the rainy season in the Philippines usually starts between the last week of May and the first week of June. “Nagkaroon tayo ng cases na ganoon (late ang start) pero bihirang bihira,” he said. Tuesday outlook For Tuesday, PAGASA said the diffused tail-end of a cold front is affecting Northern and Central Luzon, while the inter-tropical convergence zone is affecting Southern Mindanao. “Metro Manila and the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON and Zamboanga Peninsula will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms,” it said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. It added the rest of the country will have “partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly over the western section.” PAGASA also said light to moderate winds from the southeast to south will prevail over Luzon and Read More …

May 012013
 
Rainy Thursday expected in NLuzon, but 36°C heat to prevail in NCR

Rain from the tail-end of a cold front may affect parts of Northern Luzon while Metro Manila may expect temperatures to zoom up to 36 degrees Celsius on Thursday, state weather forecasters said Wednesday afternoon. PAGASA said the tail-end of a cold front is affecting Extreme Northern Luzon while easterlies or warm winds from the east are affecting the eastersn section of Visayas and Mindanao. “Cagayan valley, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Ilocos provices will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms,” PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. It added Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be “partly cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.” For Wednesday, Metro Manila experienced a high temperature of 35.5 degrees Celsius. PAGASA’s extended forecast indicated Metro Manila may experience temperatures of 25 to 36 degrees Celsius on Thursday. It added Tuguegarao, Angeles and Olongapo Cities may expect temperatures of 24 to 35 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, PAGASA said moderate to occasionally strong winds from the northeast will prevail over extreme Northern Luzon and the coastal waters will be moderate to occasionally rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the east to northeast with slight to moderate seas. — TJD, GMA News

Apr 252013
 
PAGASA: Rain over Cagayan Valley, hot weather anew over NCR and rest of PHL

Satellite Image as of 7 a.m. Thursday, 25 April 2013. | Weather Central Light to moderate rain may fall over Cagayan Valley due to the diffused tail-end of a cold front, while Metro Manila and other parts of the country can expect hot weather on Friday, state weather forecasters said. PAGASA forecaster Samuel Duran said the diffused tail-end of a cold front is affecting extreme northern Luzon while the easterlies or warm winds from the east are affecting most of the country. “[Mainit na naman sa Metro Manila] dahil umiiral pa rin ang easterlies sa halos kabuuan ng ating bansa,” Duran said in an interview on dzBB radio. Metro Manila, which experienced temperatures of as high as 36.3 degrees Celsius Thursday, may expect temperatures of 24 to 36 degrees Celsius Friday. PAGASA’s extended weather outlook indicated Metro Manila may expect temperatures of 25 to 36 degrees Celsius on Saturday. Tuguegarao City may experience relatively cooler weather Friday at 24 to 34 degrees Celsius, and on Saturday at 23 to 33 degrees Celsius. Angeles and Olongapo Cities may expect temperatures of 25 to 35 degrees Celsius Friday, and 25 to 36 degrees Celsius on Saturday. Friday outlook PAGASA’s 5 a.m. bulletin said the diffused tail-end of a cold front is affecting extreme northern Luzon. “Cagayan Valley will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms,” it said. It added moderate Read More …

Apr 182013
 
PAGASA: Rain over parts of Mindanao, 36-degree Celsius likely over NCR

Satellite Image as of 7:30 a.m., 17 April 2013. | Weather Central Rain caused by the trough of a low-pressure area may fall over parts of Mindanao on Friday, while Metro Manila braces for another hot day with temperatures reaching 36 degrees Celsius, state weather forecasters said. PAGASA forecaster Chris Perez said there is no sign of any weather disturbance or potential cyclone that may enter the Philippines in the next 24 hours. “Sa Metro Manila at natitirang bahagi ng ating bansa, mainit at maalinsangan na panahon pa rin aasahan natin,” Perez said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said the forecast temperature for Metro Manila for Friday is between 24 and 36 degrees Celsius. PAGASA’s extended weather outlook indicated a maximum temperature of 36 degrees Celsius for Metro Manila also on Saturday. Tuguegarao, Angeles and Olongapo Cities may have a maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius on Saturday. Friday outlook PAGASA’s 5 a.m. bulletin said the trough of a low-pressure area is affecting southern Mindanao while the ridge of a high-pressure area is extending across Luzon. “Davao region, ARMM, SOCCSKSARGEN and the provinces of Agusan and Surigao del Sur will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms,” it said. It added light to moderate winds from the east to southeast will prevail over Luzon and Visayas and coming from the east over Mindanao. The coastal waters Read More …

Mar 142013
 
Rain expected over NCR, parts of Luzon this Friday

Satellite image at 8 a.m., 14 March 2013. | Weather Central After experiencing heavy rain and sleet from a passing thunderstorm Thursday afternoon, Metro Manila residents may still have to bring their umbrellas Friday, state weather forecasters said Thursday afternoon. PAGASA, in its 5 p.m. bulletin, said the tail-end of a cold front is still affecting Northern Luzon but may cause isolated rain showers or thunderstorms in the next 24 hours. “Cagayan Valley region and the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Apayao will experience cloudy skies with light rains. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms,” it said. In its extended outlook, PAGASA said Metro Manila may expect “partly cloudy skies with brief rain” with temperatures ranging from 23 to 34 degrees Celsius. But for Saturday and Sunday, it said Metro Manila may expect partly cloudy skies with brief rain. Meanwhile, PAGASA said moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Northern Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough. “Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate blowing from northeast with slight to moderate seas,” it said. Meanwhile, PAGASA said strong to gale-force winds associated with the northeasterly winds may affect the seaboards of Northern Luzon. “Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” it said. — TJD, GMA News