RAINS IN the western side of Luzon and Palawan Island are expected until Tuesday due to the southwest monsoon that is being enhanced by tropical storm Fabian as well as another storm that is not yet within the Philippine area, according to state weather agency PAGASA.
“Under the influence of the southwest monsoon that is being enhanced by Fabian and the Tropical Storm Cempaka estimated at 945 kilometers west of extreme northern Luzon (outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility), monsoon rains will be experienced in the next 24 hours over Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan,” PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. bulletin on Monday.
Fabian was almost stationary at its location 1,075 kilometers east-northeast of northern Luzon as of 4 p.m. It was packing winds of 95 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 115 km/h.
The tropical storm, the 6th typhoon to enter the Philippines this year, was not expected to make landfall nor brings heavy rains in any part of the country.
However, residents and disaster managers in Batanes and Babuyan Islands, the northernmost islands in the country, were advised to continuously monitor for any shift in the storm’s direction.
Fabian is forecast to further intensify and may reach typhoon category by Tuesday afternoon or evening.