While the low pressure area (LPA) is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) in the next 24 hours, it may still bring rains over most of Luzon on Thursday, Aug. 18 along with the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
The LPA was last spotted 160 kilometers (km) east of Calayan, Cagayan. The southwest monsoon, on the other hand, continues to affect western sections of northern and central Luzon. A cloud cluster was also seen in the southeastern part of Mindanao but it remained less likely to develop into a tropical cyclone.
“Inaasahan po ngayong araw na westward pa rin ang movement , palampas dito sa mga isla ng Batanes at Babuyan. Inaasahan na within 24 hours ay lalabas na rin ito ng PAR. This low pressure area mababa po ang tiyansa na maging bagyo, pero inaasahan pa rin ang pag-ulan for most of Luzon kasama na rin po d’yan ang southwest monsoon o habagat (Today, we are expecting the LPA to move westward past the islands of Batanes and Babuyan. We are expecting this to exit PAR within 24 hours. This LPA remained less likely to develop into a tropical cyclone, but rains are still expected in most of Luzon because of the LPA, as well as the southwest monsoon or habagat),” said PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja in a public weather forecast.
The combined effects of the LPA and the southwest monsoon will bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Zambales, Bataan, Aurora, and Quezon.
Residents of these areas were warned against possible flash floods or landslides that may occur during moderate to at times heavy rains.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country, on the other hand, may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers in the next 24-hour period due to the southwest monsoon and localized thunderstorms.