DEVOTEES and tourists who wish to join religious and cultural activities of the Sinulog Festival 2024 need not worry about the weather, a local weather expert said.
Alfredo Quiblat, director of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Mactan Cebu, said the forecast for the comings days is “favorable weather.”
He said that while Cebu experienced scattered rains on Saturday, Jan. 13, he said these would not persist.
“It will be only be until today that there will be occasional light rain or drizzle due to the impact of a shear line,” he said.
Quiblat said the shear line is the point where the cold air from the northeast monsoon or amihan intersects with the warm easterlies from the Pacific Ocean.
He said amihan is characterized by the prevailing cool and dry air from the Siberian region, resulting in cooler temperatures and clear skies in the country.
The state meteorologist said the public may have noticed the wind picking up speed lately, but he said that no gale warning was raised anywhere or near Cebu. This means it’s safe for sea vessels to travel.
Quiblat said that starting on Sunday, Jan. 14, Cebu will experience generally fair weather.
He said good weather conditions will continue until Thursday, Jan. 18.
Sinulog sa Lalawigan, a competition organized by the Sinulog Foundation Inc. and Cebu Provincial Government, will be held on Sunday. Sixteen contingents from Cebu Province will compete with guest performers, including Cebu City’s Lumad Basakanon.
“On Sunday, it will be sunny and partly cloudy, though there are low chances of rain. If there will be rain, it will only be drizzle brought by amihan,” Quiblat said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
He said winds will still be a little strong, but these will help cool down spectators and performers. The temperature will be around 24 to 30 degree Celsius.
“We will not expect hot weather,” he said.
However, he said there will still be scattered light rains, so people should still prepare.
Quiblat advised the public to still bring raincoats and umbrellas to protect themselves from the elements.
He said they don’t see any tropical cyclone or weather disturbance entering the country until Jan. 25.
Last Jan. 7, Quiblat said due to the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, it was highly unlikely for a tropical cyclone to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility this month.
El Niño is marked by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, he said, which raises the chances of reduced rainfall, potentially resulting in dry spells, droughts, and adverse environmental impacts.