Cloudy skies, scattered rain showers, and thunderstorms may persist in most of Luzon and parts of Visayas and Mindanao in the next 24 hours due to the prevalence of the southwest monsoon, locally called “habagat.”
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Saturday, May 21, warned against possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to heavy monsoon rains over Metro Manila, Batanes, Cagayan, Zambales, Bataan, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies, isolated rain showers, or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.
PAGASA also advised the public to remain vigilant as severe thunderstorms may also trigger flash floods or landslides.
Severe thunderstorms are often associated with sudden heavy rainfall, lightning, thunder, gusty winds, and sometimes hail.
PAGASA officially declared the start of the rainy season on May 18.
However, it pointed out that breaks in rainfall events, also known as monsoon breaks, which can last for several days or weeks, may occur during the rainy season.
It also noted that the ongoing La Niña may still affect some parts of the country, which may increase the likelihood of above-normal rainfall conditions in the coming months.