Tropical depression Ester will likely leave the country’s area of responsibility on Saturday afternoon, July 30, but will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat” in the next 24 hours, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its tropical cyclone bulletin.
As of 4 a.m., Saturday, PAGASA had estimated the location of Ester at 785 kilometers east of Itbayat, Batanes.
The weather disturbance maintained its maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph, while moving slowly northwestward.
PAGASA said that Ester, as well as a tropical storm outside the Philippine area of responsibility with an international name “Songda,” will continue to enhance the habagat.
Scattered monsoon rains will prevail over Metro Manila Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Zambales, Bataan, Aklan, Antique, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, and Bicol Region.
PAGASA advised these areas to stay vigilant as “moderate to at times heavy rains” may trigger flash floods or landslides.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy condition with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms because of the habagat and localized thunderstorms.
PAGASA also warned against flash floods or landslides that may occur during severe thunderstorms, which are often accompanied by sudden heavy rains, lightning, thunder, gusty winds, and sometimes hail.