The low pressure area (LPA) monitored outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has already weakened into cloud clusters. As of now, no weather disturbance is affecting any part of the country.

The ridge of a high pressure area prevails over Northern Luzon, bringing fair weather over Cagayan Valley, and the Cordillera and Ilocos Regions. Metro Manila and the rest of the archipelago will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA Weather Forecaster Samuel Duran said this ridge will continue to affect the Philippines in the next coming days as we approach the official hot and dry season. The prevailing presence of the high pressure area causes rising temperatures in most parts of the country including Metro Manila.

Yesterday, a scorching temperature of 33.5 degrees Celsius was recorded at 1:50 PM at the PAGASA Science Garden, Quezon City. For today’s temperature, Metro Manila will experience 21 to 33 degrees Celsius while Metro Cebu can expect 25 to 31 degrees Celsius. A range of 25 to 33 degrees Celsius is expected over Metro Davao.

Avalanche forms over Afghanistan

More than 100 people have died in Afghanistan due to an avalanche triggered by heavy winter snow. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) defined an avalanche as a rapid flow of snow down a hill or mountainside. It occurs in certain times of the year particularly during the Winter Season.

Meanwhile, according to the National Disasters Association (NDA), the avalanche is derived from the French word “avalance” which means descent. It is a mass of snow, sometimes mixed with ice and debris travelling down the mountainside.

According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Samuel Duran, it is also called a “snow slide,” similar to landslide but instead of soil or rocks, snow and ice falls down from the mountainous areas.