Habagat to dump rains over Luzon - PAGASA

MANILA, Philippines — The rainy season is imminent as the southwest monsoon (Habagat) is expected to bring rains in Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Tuesday.

In its daily weather forecast, PAGASA said the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera, Central Luzon, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will experience monsoon rains.

In its Twitter account, the agency also issued a yellow rainfall advisory at 8 a.m. for Bataan and parts of Zambales, saying flooding could be experienced in low-lying areas.

PAGASA added that light to moderate rains is affecting Pampanga, Bulacan and portions of Cavite and Nueva Ecija and may persist within three hours

The weather bureau also said that the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

The low pressure area (LPA) recently spotted near northern Luzon was spotted 310 kilometers north northeast of Laoag City or at 65 kilometers northwest of Basco, Batanes at 4 a.m. today.

PAGASA weather forecaster Connie Dadivas said that the LPA may intensify into a tropical depression when it is already outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

Dadivas also said that PAGASA may announce this week the onset of the rainy season.

PAGASA, meanwhile, said moderate to strong winds coming from the southwest will prevail over the northern and western sections of Luzon and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough.

Light to moderate winds coming from the southwest will prevail over Visayas and the rest of Luzon and from the south to southwest over Mindanao with slight to moderate seas.