Hanna continues enhancing habagat

MANILA, Philippines — Residents of Metro Manila and nearby provinces should be wary of possible floods and landslides due to heavy rains that will persist until Wednesday due to the southwest monsoon being enhanced by Tropical Storm Hanna, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

PAGASA said residents of Metro Manila, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Bataan, Zambales, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and other areas highly susceptible to floods and rain-induced landslides, should take precautionary measures and coordinate with their local disaster risk reduction and management offices.

Hanna (international name Lekima) is the eighth tropical cyclone to enter the country this year and the first this month. It remains unlikely to make landfall in any part of the country.

However, it will continue to strengthen the southwest monsoon as it heads north in the next 24 hours.

Hanna may still intensify while over the Philippine sea, according PAGASA senior weather specialist Raymond Ordinario.

As of 3 p.m., the center of Hanna was located at 1,060 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, packing winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

It was forecast to move north at 15 kph.

Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will also be experienced over Ilocos region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Bicol, the rest of Central Luzon, the rest of Visayas, Rizal and Quezon.

No tropical cyclone wind signal has been raised on any part of the country as of 5 p.m. yesterday.

“Fisherfolk and those with small seacraft are advised not to venture out over the western seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon, the seaboards of Southern Luzon and Visayas, and the eastern seaboard of Mindanao due to potentially rough sea conditions,” the weather agency said.

Hanna was expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility between Thursday and Friday.

The heavy rains, meanwhile, led to slight increases in the water elevation of three dams in Bulacan, which supply most of Metro Manila’s water needs .

Monitoring by the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office (PDRRMO) of Bulacan before noontime yesterday showed that Angat Dam’s water level has increased to 168 meters compared to the 167.22 meters on Saturday morning.

Ipo Dam’s water elevation was monitored at 101 meters compared to previous day’s 100.98 meter while Bustos Dam’s elevation was at 17.51 meters, same as that of Saturday morning.  – With Ramon Lazaro