Tropical Depression Josie on way out, but still enhancing monsoon

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MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Josie continued to move over the Bashi Channel early Sunday afternoon, July 22, as it began to make its way out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). But it continues to enhance the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat, which is affecting Luzon and the Visayas.

In a bulletin issued 2 pm on Sunday, state weather bureau PAGASA said Josie is already 265 kilometers north northeast of Basco, Batanes, still moving north northeast at 25 kilometers per hour (km/h).

The tropical depression continues to have maximum winds of 60 km/h and gustiness of up to 75 km/h.

Only Batanes remains under signal number 1. Occasional rains and gusty winds are still expected in the province.

Since Josie is enhancing the southwest monsoon, heavier monsoon rain is hitting Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, the rest of Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Western Visayas, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, Laguna, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, and northern Palawan, including the Calamian Group of Islands.

At 1 pm on Sunday, PAGASA issued the following color-coded rainfall warnings:

• Zambales and Bataan – red (torrential rain, serious floods expected in low-lying areas)
• Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal – orange (intense rain, flooding is threatening)
• Bulacan – yellow (heavy rain, floods possible in low-lying areas)

The rest of Luzon and the rest of the Visayas will also continue to have occasional rainshowers due to the southwest monsoon. (READ: Volunteer for Agos today)

Areas affected by Josie and the southwest monsoon should stay 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 was placed under a state of calamity on Saturday, July 21, due to massive floods triggered by rain from the southwest monsoon.

Some areas have already suspended classes for Monday, July 23.

PAGASA also warned that sea travel remains risky in the northern and eastern 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 PAR either on Sunday evening or on Monday morning. That’s the day of President Rodrigo Duterte’s 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Aside from Josie, PAGASA is also monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) still outside PAR. Further details on this LPA will be given as soon as they become available.

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

Despite the bad weather, it’s all systems go for President Rodrigo Duterte’s 3rd State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 23. Check out Rappler’s full coverage of the SONA here.