Heavy rainfall warnings have been hoisted in Metro Manila and 10 other areas in Luzon due to the southwest monsoon, heightening the risk of flooding and landslides, according to the state weather bureau on Friday.
“The effects of the southwest monsoon, or habagat, will continue and will bring heavy to intense rainfall, particularly in areas in the western section of Central and Southern Luzon,” Obet Badrina, weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said in its 5:00 a.m. weather advisory.
Zambales and Bataan will experience intense downpour, or rainfall between 100 to 200 millimetres (mm), in the next 24 hours.
PAGASA warned that numerous flooding is likely, especially in high-risk areas, such as low-lying, near-river, and urbanized areas.
Metro Manila, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro will receive heavy downpours, or rainfall between 50 to 100 mm, during the same period.
Under this rainfall condition, localized flooding is possible, especially in high-risk areas.
Heavy downpours are expected in similar areas until Sunday.
The rest of the large parts of Luzon and Visayas are likely to experience thunderstorms due to the effects of the southwest monsoon.
As of 8:00 a.m., PAGASA said that the upper to lower portions of Pampanga River are all above the alarm water level.
Meanwhile, PAGASA remains to monitor a low pressure area and tropical depression outside of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
The tropical depression, which developed from an LPA on Thursday night, was located 1,770 kilometers east of Extreme Northern Luzon, PAGASA said in the press briefing.
“The possibility of it entering the PAR is relatively low,” Mr. Badrina said.
It is also forecast to downgrade into an LPA and become part of Tropical Cyclone Krovanh, formerly known as Pilandok.
The LPA, formerly Saudel, was spotted 870 km west-northwest of Extreme Northern Luzon after lashing eastern China. — Edg Adrian A. Eva