THE Southwest Monsoon or Habagat is forecast to bring more rain across Luzon and the Visayas on Monday, August 31, according to the state weather bureau PAGASA.
In its 4:00 p.m. bulletin issued Sunday, the agency warned that heavy monsoon rains will persist over the Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga — areas already soaked by days of downpours and previously placed under red rainfall alerts. The continued downpour raises serious concerns over flooding and landslides, especially in communities already saturated by antecedent rains.
Occasional rains are also expected in Metro Manila, the rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro. Meanwhile, cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms will blanket the rest of Luzon, Western Visayas, and the Negros Island Region. The remaining portions of the Visayas can expect partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms, while localized thunderstorms will be the main weather hazard across Mindanao.
PAGASA also monitored Tropical Depression “Pilandok,” which as of 3:00 p.m. Sunday was located 1,215 kilometers east of Extreme Northern Luzon. Pilandok maintains maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 55 km/h. Though the cyclone is expected to remain far from land and unlikely to make direct landfall, its presence is helping reinforce the monsoon’s strength, prolonging the period of inclement weather across the western half of the country. Residents in affected areas are advised to remain alert, heed official warnings, and avoid unnecessary travel through flood-prone routes.
metrosundaily
