Tropical Depression Domeng slightly strengthens

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

MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Domeng slightly strengthened as it continued moving over the Philippine Sea on Thursday morning, June 7.

In a bulletin issued 11 am on Thursday, state weather bureau PAGASA said Domeng is located 615 kilometers northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, moving west at 15 kilometers per hour (km/h). Due to its direction, it is not expected to make landfall in any part of the Philippines.

Domeng now has maximum winds of 55 km/h from the previous 45 km/h and gustiness of up to 65 km/h from the previous 60 km/h. PAGASA warned that it could intensify further into a tropical storm.

There are no areas under tropical cyclone warning signals, but Domeng, combined with the monsoon trough, will continue bringing moderate to heavy rain to Bicol, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas on Thursday. The monsoon trough is a portion of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).

Domeng is also expected to enhance the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat. This means there will be moderate to heavy monsoon rain in Western Visayas and the western parts of Calabarzon and Mimaropa beginning Friday, June 8, and over the rest of the western part of Luzon, including Metro Manila, during the weekend. Flash floods and landslides are possible.

Fishermen and those with small sea vessels are also advised not to venture out into the eastern and western seaboards of Luzon.

Based on its latest forecast track, Domeng is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Sunday, June 10.

PAGASA has said that it expects to declare the start of the rainy season this week.

For the onset of the rainy season to be declared, the requirement is 5 straight days of rain generating a total amount of at least 25 millimeters (mm) of rainfall. These 5 days must also include 3 straight days of at least 1 mm of rainfall. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories) – Rappler.com