Warm weather to prevail in Cebu

Local

CEBUANOS can expect mostly warm days with a chance of brief rainshowers and thunderstorms over the next several days, the state weather bureau said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Visayas forecast partly cloudy to cloudy skies for Metro Cebu and the rest of the province from Saturday, August 9, through Tuesday, August 12.

Localized thunderstorms and the prevailing southwest monsoon may bring occasional rains, mostly in the afternoon or evening.

For Saturday, temperatures are expected to range from 25 to 33 degrees Celsius, with light to moderate winds coming from the southwest to southeast and coastal waters remaining slight to moderate.

The same wind and sea conditions will hold for Sunday, when temperatures will hover between 25 and 31 degrees Celsius, and for Monday and Tuesday, when highs will reach 33 degrees Celsius.

Pagasa is also monitoring Severe Tropical Storm Podul, which strengthened on Saturday morning while still far from the country.

The storm was last spotted 2,155 kilometers east of Extreme Northern Luzon, carrying sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 115 kph, moving slowly west-northwest.

“Podul is forecast to move generally west-northwestward today, westward on Sunday and Monday, then west-northwestward or northwestward from Tuesday through the end of the forecast period,” Pagasa said.

The bureau stressed that it is unlikely to directly impact Philippine weather and sea conditions within the next five days.

However, forecasters warned there remains “large uncertainty” in the storm’s track and intensity from Monday onward, as even a slight northward or southward shift could change the forecast.

If Podul enters the Philippine area of responsibility, it will be named Gorio.

Despite the mostly fair weather, Pagasa advised residents to prepare for sudden rains and to take precautions against the heat during midday hours.

Sea travel is expected to remain generally safe as wave heights stay slight to moderate.(TGP)