Filipino bands

Tropical Depression Josie threatens Babuyan Islands

Rappler.com

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Tropical Depression Josie threatens Babuyan Islands
Josie is 65 kilometers west southwest of Calayan, Cagayan as of late Saturday evening, July 21, heading for the Babuyan Group of Islands

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MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Josie slightly strengthened and slowed down late Saturday evening, July 21, and is now threatening the Babuyan Group of Islands.

In a bulletin released past 11 pm on Saturday, state weather bureau PAGASA said Josie now has maximum winds of 60 kilometers per hour (km/h) from the previous 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 80 km/h from the previous 75 km/h.

The tropical depression is already 65 kilometers west southwest of Calayan, Cagayan, moving east northeast at a much slower 15 km/h from the previous 35 km/h.

Signal number 1 is still raised over:

  • Batanes
  • northern Cagayan including the Babuyan Group of Islands
  • Ilocos Norte
  • northern part of Ilocos Sur
  • Apayao
  • northern part of Abra 

Josie is also enhancing the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat.

Moderate to heavy rain will persist in the Ilocos Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Batanes, the Babuyan Group of Islands, Zambales, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija.

Scattered rainshowers, ranging from light to heavy, are also being experienced in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, the rest of Central Luzon, the rest of Cagayan Valley, Oriental Mindoro, and Occidental Mindoro due to the southwest monsoon.

Areas affected by Josie and the southwest monsoon should be on alert for possible flash floods and landslides. This is especially important as lands in parts of Luzon have already been saturated from the heavy rainfall in the past week. (READ: Monsoon rains increase risk of landslides in Baguio, Benguet)

Dagupan City in Pangasinan has already been placed under a state of calamity due to massive floods triggered by rain from the southwest monsoon.

PAGASA also warned that sea travel remains risky in the seaboards of Northern Luzon and in the western seaboard of Central Luzon, especially in areas under signal number 1. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Based on its latest forecast track, Josie is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Monday afternoon, July 23. That’s the day of President Rodrigo Duterte’s 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Forecast track of Tropical Depression Josie as of July 21, 2018, 11 pm. Image courtesy of PAGASA

Josie is the Philippines’ 10th tropical cyclone for 2018. The country usually gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones per year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2018)

Josie comes on the heels of Severe Tropical Storm Inday (Ampil), which left PAR at 1 am on Saturday. Inday did not make landfall in the Philippines, but it enhanced the southwest monsoon.

PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season last June 8.

– Rappler.com

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