Jacinto-enhanced southwest monsoon to bring more rain

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression Jacinto continues to intensify the southwest monsoon, bringing rains over several parts of the country, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.

Jacinto was last spotted 505 kilometers west of Subic Bay, Zambales, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 55 kph. It was moving north-northwest at 10 kph, slower than its pace earlier in the day.

While the weather disturbance remains far from land, its trough is dumping rain over Ilocos Region, Cagayan, Isabela, the Cordillera Administrative Region, as well as Zambales and Bataan. It is also enhancing the southwest monsoon, which is bringing scattered rains, thunderstorms, and possible flash floods and landslides in Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region.

No tropical cyclone wind signals have been raised in the country, but PAGASA warned that rains of 50 to 100 millimeters may trigger flooding in urban areas and landslides in mountainous communities.

The state weather bureau said Jacinto is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility today, but may intensify into a tropical storm over the weekend as it tracks toward northern or central Vietnam.

Fisherfolk are advised not to venture out to sea, particularly in the western sections of Luzon and Visayas, where moderate to rough seas of up to 3.5 meters are expected.

PAGASA said rains will continue in the western sections of the country until the weekend. At the same time, Metro Manila and eastern provinces may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms, mostly in the afternoon and evening.