Tropical Depression Josie moving away, monsoon threat remains

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MANILA, Philippines – There are no more areas under tropical cyclone warning signals as Tropical Depression Josie is already moving over the Philippine Sea and about to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) in a matter of hours. But Josie continues to enhance the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat.

In a bulletin issued 5 pm on Sunday, July 22, state weather bureau PAGASA said Josie is already 330 kilometers north northeast of Basco, Batanes, still moving north northeast at 25 kilometers per hour (km/h).

The tropical depression slightly weakened late Sunday afternoon. It now has maximum winds of 55 km/h from the previous 60 km/h and gustiness of up to 65 km/h from the previous 75 km/h.

The enhanced southwest monsoon, however, will still trigger scattered to widespread rain in Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas.

At 4 pm on Sunday, PAGASA issued the following color-coded rainfall warnings:

• Cavite, Batangas, and Bataan – red (torrential rain, serious floods expected in low-lying areas)
• Metro Manila, Zambales, and Laguna – orange (intense rain, flooding is threatening)
• Rizal – 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 the southwest monsoon should stay on alert for flash floods and landslides. Massive floods have hit various areas in Luzon.

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

PAGASA also warned that sea travel remains risky in the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon. (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. President Rodrigo Duterte will deliver his 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday afternoon.

Aside from Josie, PAGASA is also monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) still outside PAR, located 1,580 kilometers east of Southern Luzon. It could enter PAR within the next 24 to 48 hours, and within that period also become a tropical depression. If it intensifies, it would be given the local name Karding.

Josie is the Philippines’ 10th tropical cyclone for 2018, and the potential Karding would be the 11th. 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, July 21. 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.