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MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Hanna is likely to intensify in the coming hours and days, which means it will be stronger as it enhances the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat.

In a briefing at 11:45 am on Sunday, August 4, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Hanna is now 1,070 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon.

It is moving north northwest, still at the same speed of 15 kilometers per hour (km/h).

The tropical depression continues to have maximum winds of 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

But PAGASA expects Hanna to strengthen into a tropical storm in less than 24 hours, and eventually into a severe tropical storm while inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). It may also later become a typhoon.

There are no areas under tropical cyclone wind signals, since Hanna is far from land. It is also unlikely to make landfall in the country.

But the tropical depression is enhancing the southwest monsoon, which is affecting Luzon and the Visayas.

Here is the latest list of areas affected by the enhanced southwest monsoon.

Sunday, August 4, until Tuesday morning, August 6

• Moderate to heavy monsoon rain
• Metro Manila
• Pangasinan
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Pampanga
• Bulacan
• Rizal
• Cavite
• Batangas
• Laguna
• Occidental Mindoro
• Oriental Mindoro
• northern portions of Palawan including Calamian and Cuyo islands
• Romblon
• Aklan
• Antique
• Scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms
• rest of the Ilocos Region
• rest of Central Luzon
• Cordillera Administrative Region
• Bicol
• Quezon
• rest of the Visayas
• Zamboanga Peninsula

PAGASA warned those areas to watch out for flash floods and landslides. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Fishermen and those with small sea vessels should also avoid venturing out into the western seaboards of Northern Luzon and Central Luzon, the seaboards of Southern Luzon and the Visayas, and the eastern seaboard of Mindanao.

In particular, wave heights of 2.8 meters to 4.5 meters could be experienced in:

• western coast of Pangasinan
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Batangas
• Occidental Mindoro
• Oriental Mindoro
• Palawan
• Quezon including Polillo Island
• Camarines Norte
• Camarines Sur
• Catanduanes
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Masbate including Burias Island
• Northern Samar
• Eastern Samar
• Samar
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• Iloilo
• Guimaras
• Aklan
• Antique
• Capiz
• Negros Occidental
• Negros Oriental
• Cebu
• Bohol
• Dinagat
• Surigao del Norte including Siargao Island
• Surigao del Sur
• eastern coast of Davao Oriental

Based on Hanna’s latest forecast track, it is expected to leave PAR in the early hours of Friday, August 9.

Hanna is the Philippines’ 8th tropical cyclone for 2019, and the 1st for the month of August. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2019)

The country gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually, but since 2019 is an El Niño year, only 14 to 18 tropical cyclones are expected.

Below is the estimated number of tropical cyclones from August to December:

• August – 2 to 4
• September – 2 to 4
• October – 2 or 3
• November – 1 or 2
• December – 0 or 1

PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season last June 14. – Rappler.com