Tropical depression Rosal maintained its strength while moving northeastward over the Philippine Sea, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 11.

In its latest bulletin, the state weather bureau said Rosal was last spotted 550 kilometers (km) east of Tuguegarao with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 70 kph. It is moving northeastward at 15 kph.

Rain showers in parts of Luzon due to 'Rosal'

Although the weather disturbance is now moving away from the country’s landmass, its trough is still bringing cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in several parts of Luzon particularly Quirino, Aurora, Quezon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, and Camarines Norte.

“Aside from rain showers caused by the trough of Rosal, the tropical depression is less likely to bring heavy rains in the country throughout the forecast period,” said PAGASA in its 5 p.m. bulletin.

Meanwhile, due to the Rosal-enhanced northeast monsoon, locally called “amihan,” occasional gusts reaching gale-force winds are expected in Batanes and Babuyan Islands. Strong breeze to near-gale strength, on the other hand, may prevail in Ilocos Norte, the northern and eastern portions of Cagayan, and the eastern portion of Isabela.

PAGASA is also not ruling out the possibility of the weather disturbance’s further intensification. It may develop into a “low-end” tropical storm within 24 hours.

Light rains, partly cloudy skies

Apart from the trough of Rosal, the northeast monsoon is also bringing light rains and partly cloudy skies in several areas of the country.

These areas include the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and the rest of Cagayan Valley. Metro Manila and the rest of the country, due to the combined effects of the trough of Rosal and localized thunderstorms, may experience isolated rain showers and partly cloudy skies.