Monsoon rain to continue in Luzon on August 15

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MANILA, Philippines – The low pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat on Wednesday, August 15.

In a bulletin issued 4 pm on Tuesday, August 14, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA is already 735 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes.

This LPA only has a slim chance of developing into a tropical depression, but it is making the southwest monsoon stronger.

Moderate to heavy monsoon rain will again be experienced in the Ilocos Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Batanes, the Babuyan Group of Islands, Zambales, and Bataan.

There will also be occasional rainshowers in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, the rest of Central Luzon, and Occidental Mindoro, plus scattered rains or thunderstorms in the rest of Luzon. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

PAGASA advised residents of these areas to stay on alert for floods and landslides. Massive floods already hit parts of Metro Manila and Rizal last weekend, after the enhanced southwest monsoon dumped more than half of August’s expected rainfall in just one day. (READ: #FloodPH: Things to do when you’re trapped, in need of rescue)

Classes in some areas are still suspended for Wednesday. (READ: #WalangPasok: Class suspensions, Wednesday, August 15)

The Visayas and Mindanao are not affected by the southwest monsoon and will only have isolated rains.

Meanwhile, a gale warning was issued at 5 pm for Batanes, the Babuyan Group of Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, and Bataan.

Seas off those areas are rough to very rough, with wave heights reaching 2.8 meters to 4.5 meters.

PAGASA advised fishermen and others with small vessels not to set sail in areas covered by the gale warning. Larger vessels should watch out for big waves.

The state weather bureau also continues to monitor Tropical Storm Bebinca outside PAR, located 905 kilometers west of extreme Northern Luzon and slowly moving north.

Bebinca continues to have maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gustiness of up to 80 km/h. It remains unlikely to enter PAR.

So far, the Philippines has had 11 tropical cyclones in 2018. The country usually gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones per year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2018)

PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season last June 8. – Rappler.com