Monsoon rains induced by the low-pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) will continue to affect most of Luzon, including some areas in Visayas and Mindanao, this Friday.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration monitoring said the LPA that brought significant rains over some parts of the country in the past few days left the PAR Thursday afternoon.
It was estimated at 430 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur around 3 p.m.
Batanes, Cagayan, Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Aurora, Palawan, Oriental Mindoro, and Occidental Mindoro may experience monsoon rains within the next 24 hours due to the southwest monsoon or “habagat” that is being enhanced by the LPA.
Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Marinduque, Romblon, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur will also have scattered light to moderate rains that may become heavy during thunderstorms.
The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.
PAGASA weather specialist Samuel Duran explained that monsoon rains tend to be more intense from evening until the early morning. A brief break in rains is evident in the morning until noon before it resumes again in the afternoon.
"Yan ang katangian ng ating monsoon rains. Paputol-putol din, intermittent kumbaga (That is the nature of our monsoon rains. It is also intermittent)," he said.
PAGASA warned that flooding and rain-induced landslides may occur during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards.
A gale warning was also raised over the coasts of Batanes and Babuyan Islands on Thursday due to potentially rough seas that make sea travel dangerous for small boats.
Fisherfolk and those using small boats were advised not to set sail over the western seaboards of Luzon and the western coasts of Visayas due to moderate to rough seas.
PAGASA advised the public and local disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned to take appropriate measures and monitor the rainfall or thunderstorm advisories and heavy rainfall warnings issued by PAGASA regional services divisions.