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MANILA, Philippines – The trough or extension of Tropical Depression Ineng is expected to trigger rain in parts of the Philippines on Wednesday, August 21, a special non-working day for the country as it is Ninoy Aquino Day.

In a briefing past 5 am on Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ineng is now 975 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes, or 1,245 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon.

It slightly slowed down, and is now moving north at 10 kilometers per hour (km/h) from the previous 15 km/h.

The tropical depression still has maximum winds of 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 70 km/h. But it is expected to intensify into a tropical storm within the next 12 to 24 hours.

There are no tropical cyclone wind signals raised at the moment, since Ineng remains far from land. It is also unlikely to make landfall.

But Ineng’s trough will already bring scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms, ranging from light to heavy, to the following areas on Wednesday:

• Mimaropa
• Bicol
• Visayas
• Zamboanga Peninsula
• Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
• Northern Mindanao
• Caraga
• Davao Region

PAGASA advised those areas to watch out for possible flash floods and landslides. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

PAGASA said Ineng is not expected to enhance the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat. The southwest monsoon is weak at the moment, and is only affecting Batanes and the Babuyan Group of Islands.

Based on its latest forecast track, Ineng will leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Sunday, August 25.

Ineng is the Philippines’ 9th tropical cyclone for 2019 and the 2nd for August. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2019)

The country gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually, but since 2019 is an El Niño year, only 14 to 18 tropical cyclones are expected.

Below is the estimated number of tropical cyclones from August to December:

• August – 2 to 4
• September – 2 to 4
• October – 2 or 3
• November – 1 or 2
• December – 0 or 1

PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season last June 14. – Rappler.com