THE Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is bringing cloudy skies, scattered rains and thunderstorms to parts of Cebu and the Visayas, with the rainy weather expected to persist through Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Visayas weather specialist Ever John Tenio said Wednesday, Sept. 16, that rains experienced in recent days were associated with the ITCZ.
The ITCZ is a band of low pressure near the equator where winds from the Northern and Southern hemispheres converge.
Rains over Visayas
Pagasa’s regional forecast showed cloudy skies with rain showers and thunderstorms over the Visayas, while its national forecast said the ITCZ was affecting the Visayas and Mindanao.
Tenio said rainfall associated with the ITCZ would generally be light to moderate, although thunderstorms could bring periods of heavier rain in some areas.
Moderate to at times heavy rain during thunderstorms could trigger flash floods or landslides in vulnerable areas, he said.
Weather conditions are expected to gradually improve beginning Friday, Sept. 18, with generally fair weather anticipated over the weekend, he said.
Pagasa was also monitoring a tropical depression outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
As of 3 a.m. Wednesday, the tropical depression was about 2,970 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 70 kilometers per hour. It was moving west-northwestward slowly.
Tenio said the tropical depression could enter the northeastern portion of PAR but was not expected to make landfall in the country. / DPC