PAGASA: Brace for rains for 5 more days

What’s the weather like in your area? Report the situation through Rappler’s Agos or tweet us at @rapplerdotcom.

MANILA, Philippines – State weather bureau PAGASA warned Luzon and Western Visayas to brace for more heavy rains in the next 5 days.

“Within 5 days, maulan pa rin po dahil sa habagat. Walang tigil. Matagal-tagal pa tayong magtitiis,” PAGASA forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said in a press briefing 5 pm on Saturday, August 13.

(Within 5 days, it will still be rainy due to the southwest monsoon. Nonstop. We still have to endure the rains for quite some time.)

For Sunday, August 14, in particular, PAGASA said there would be more monsoon rains in Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas.

These areas should watch out for even more floods and landslides. On Saturday, low-lying areas had already been flooded.

There will also be occasional rains in the rest of the Ilocos Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, and the rest of Central Luzon, as well as Mimaropa and Western Visayas.

The rest of Luzon and the rest of the Visayas should expect light to moderate rains and thunderstorms.

Mindanao, in contrast, will have generally good weather on Sunday with just isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Aurelio explained that a low pressure area (LPA) and a tropical depression which are both outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) are enhancing the southwest monsoon.

Aurelio also clarified in the press briefing that the amount of rainfall that has fallen in Metro Manila is much less than the amount of rainfall that fell during Tropical Storm Ondoy in 2009. Ondoy had left hundreds of people dead.

“Malayo ‘yung ulan na binigay ng Ondoy (in 2009) sa habagat (ngayon),” said Aurelio.

(The amount of rainfall from Ondoy in 2009 was much more than the amount of rainfall due to the southwest monsoon now.)

In Marikina, the city worst hit by Ondoy, authorities implemented mandatory evacuation for residents in low-lying areas on Saturday. This was after the Marikina River reached the critical level.

The La Mesa Dam in Quezon City also went on red alert as of Saturday noon, nearing its spilling level. Communities along the Tullahan River were urged to evacuate.

PAGASA also said coastal waters throughout the Philippines are moderate to rough, with moderate to strong winds. – Rappler.com