Weather Today – December 2, 2014 | “Hagupit” no direct effect yet, amihan re-intensifies

PAGASA is closely monitoring the tropical storm with international name “Hagupit”, a name contributed by the Philippines, meaning lash or flog. It was last located 2,485 kilometers east of Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 90 kilometers per hour.

If it maintains its direction moving west-northwest and at the speed of 25 kilometers per hour, it is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Thursday evening or Friday morning. Once it enters PAR, it will be given the local name “Ruby” and will be the first tropical cyclone for December. However, it could still change its course and re-curve away from the country.

The northeast monsoon or amihan will be the dominant weather system affecting Northern and Central Luzon. Cagayan Valley, Apayao and Ilocos Norte will have cloudy skies with light rains while Central Luzon and the rest of Cordillera and Ilocos Region will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Aside from bringing light rains, amihan will also affect the coastal waters. A gale warning is up over Northern Luzon, which covers the seaboards of Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan and Isabela. Rough to very rough sea conditions are expected over these areas with wave heights ranging from 3.4 to 4.5 meters.