Monsoon rain until Saturday, better weather by Sunday

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MANILA, Philippines – State weather bureau PAGASA said rain in parts of Luzon will persist until Saturday, July 29, as Severe Tropical Storm Gorio (Nesat) continues to enhance the southwest monsoon.

In a bulletin issued 11 am on Friday, July 28, PAGASA said Gorio is already 360 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes, still moving northwest at 15 kilometers per hour (km/h).

Signal number 1 remains raised over the province of Batanes.

Gorio maintained its strength, with maximum winds of 105 km/h and gustiness of up to 130 km/h.

Aside from Gorio, PAGASA continues to monitor a tropical depression located outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), at 475 kilometers west of Calayan, Cagayan.

This tropical depression will not enter PAR, according to PAGASA forecaster Aldczar Aurelio.

Both the tropical depression and Gorio, however, will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon.

Expect more moderate to occasionally heavy rain in the western part of Luzon – particularly Metro Manila, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, and Calabarzon – on Friday and Saturday. Flash floods and landslides are possible.

“Kahit mahina ‘yung ulan pero matagal ‘yung duration niya, magbabaha, lalo na sa mababang lugar,” said Aurelio in a news briefing late Friday morning. (Even if we only get light rain but it’s for a long period of time, there could be floods, especially in low-lying areas.)

The rest of Luzon and the Visayas will also continue to experience light to moderate rain.

The weather will gradually improve starting Sunday, July 30, the day Gorio is expected to leave PAR.

“Inaasahan natin sa Sunday ay bubuti ang panahon natin dito sa Metro Manila [and in other areas],” Aurelio said. (We expect the weather to improve in Metro Manila [and in other areas] on Sunday.)

PAGASA earlier issued a gale warning, advising fishing boats and other small seacraft not to venture out into the western seaboard of Northern Luzon and Central Luzon. There will be strong to gale force winds in Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and the western coast of Ilocos Norte, Zambales, and Bataan.

“Larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” PAGASA added.

The heavy monsoon rain prompted class and work suspensions in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon for the 3rd straight day on Friday. Parts of the Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region also suspended classes on Friday. – Rappler.com