INTERIOR Secretary Jonvic Remulla yesterday announced the suspension of classes today at all levels in public and private schools in Metro Manila and 19 other areas due to anticipated inclement weather.
Work in government offices in those areas are also suspended.
Aside from Metro Manila, also covered by the suspension are Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Batangas, Cavite, Aurora, Quezon, Rizal, Laguna, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Masbate, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte and Southern Leyte.
In a 24-hour public weather forecast issued at 4 p.m. yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the southwest monsoon will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms to Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Mimaropa, and Antique.
It said eight regions — Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, Northern Mindanao, Caraga — and the rest of the Visayas will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms due a low pressure area (LPA).
The rest of the country, PAGASA said, will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains showers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.
Earlier yesterday, PAGASA downgraded to “low” – from Sunday afternoon’s “high” — the LPA’s potential to develop into a tropical depression.
As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the LPA was some 290 km northeast of Maasin City in Southern Leyte or 130 km east northeast of Borongan City in Eastern Samar.
“The low pressure area (is) still being monitored inside the Philippine area of responsibility,” PAGASA said in an advisory as of 2 p.m. yesterday. “It has a low potential of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.”
“There is a low chance it will develop into a tropical depression in the next 24 hours,” said PAGASA weather specialist Daniel Villamil.
