Tropical depression Caloy may enhance the southwest monsoon, locally called “habagat,” which could bring scattered to widespread rains over most of the country in the next 24 hours, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Wednesday, June 29.
Weather specialist Grace Castañeda said Caloy was estimated at 395 kilometers west of Iba, Zambales, as of 4 a.m.
It has maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.
“On the forecast track, tropical depression Caloy is forecast to meander aimlessly today then move generally north-northwestward or northwestward tomorrow (June 30), westward on Friday (July 1), then turn northwestward for the remainder of the forecast period towards southern China,” Castañeda said in its 5 a.m. briefing.
Although Caloy may exit the Philippine area of responsibility by early Thursday morning, Castañeda said the cyclone-enhanced habagat may induce monsoon rains that could affect some parts of the country in the next few days.
In the next 24 hours, “scattered to widespread moderate to at times heavy rains” may prevail over Bataan, Zambales, Palawan, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Aurora, and Quezon.
The rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula may experience scattered “moderate to at times heavy rains” and thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, the rest of Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms.
Severe winds
Castañeda said that no tropical cyclone wind signal has been raised as of 5 a.m.
However, she said that the southwest monsoon enhanced by the tropical depression will bring “occasionally gusty conditions reaching strong breeze to near gale in strength over extreme northern Luzon and the western sections of Luzon and Visayas.”
“These conditions are more likely in coastal and mountainous or upland localities of these areas,” she added.
Castañeda said Caloy may remain a tropical depression in the next 48 hours, but will slightly intensify and become a tropical storm by Friday afternoon, July 1.
“Considering these developments, the public and disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned are advised to take all necessary measures to protect life and property,” PAGASA said.
“Persons living in areas identified to be highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards are advised to follow evacuation and other instructions from local officials. For heavy rainfall warnings, thunderstorm/rainfall advisories, and other severe weather information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by your local PAGASA Regional Services Division,” it added.