Rains from the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat” may persist over parts of Luzon until midweek, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Sunday, Aug. 9.

PAGASA weather specialist Charmagne Varilla said a tropical storm outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) may continue to enhance the habagat in the coming days.

Tropical Storm Peilou was located 2,200 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon as of Sunday.

It had maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 85 kph, while moving east-southeastward at 25 kph.

“Mababa ang tsansa nito pumasok sa PAR at makaapekto sa anumang bahagi ng bansa (There is a low chance that it will enter the PAR and affect any part of the country),” Varilla said.

However, Peilou may help pull the habagat toward the country in the coming days.

“Maaaring sa mga susunod na araw ito ang hihila sa habagat na siyang patuloy na makakaapekto sa Luzon at Visayas (In the coming days, it may pull the southwest monsoon, which will continue to affect Luzon and Visayas),” Varilla said.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Dolphin, which has been monitored outside the PAR, was expected to make landfall in China on Sunday. It had enhanced the effect of the habagat in the past few days.

For the 24-hour period from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, more than 200 mm of rain, classified as intense to torrential, is forecast over Benguet.

Rainfall of 100 to 200 mm, or heavy to intense, is expected over Ilocos Sur, La Union, Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, and Occidental Mindoro.

PAGASA also forecast 50 to 100 mm of moderate to heavy rain over Ilocos Norte, Abra, Pangasinan, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Batangas, Laguna, Oriental Mindoro, and Antique.

From Monday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 11, rainfall of 100 to 200 mm is forecast over La Union, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro.

Another 50 to 100 mm of rain is expected over Ilocos Sur, Abra, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, and Antique.

From Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 12, Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro may receive 100 to 200 mm of rain.

Meanwhile, 50 to 100 mm of rainfall is forecast over La Union, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, and Batangas.

PAGASA said the forecast rainfall may trigger flooding and rain-induced landslides, especially in areas that have already received significant rainfall.