Southwest Monsoon Brings Heavy Rain Across Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — The southwest monsoon has heightened the chances of rain across most parts of the country this Saturday, August 9, local weather authorities reported. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecasted widespread rainfall due to the southwest monsoon.
According to Pagasa’s morning update, meteorologist Grace Castañeda said cloudy skies and significant rain are expected over the Mimaropa and Bicol regions, as well as Quezon province. “Most likely, we will continue to experience moderate, and at times, heavy rainfall,” she explained in Filipino.
Other parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, will see partly cloudy to cloudy skies throughout the day. Isolated rain showers may occur in the Cagayan Valley region and Aurora province during the morning hours.
Rain Forecast for Visayas and Mindanao
Meanwhile, Palawan and the Western Visayas region will experience overcast skies accompanied by scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, also driven by the southwest monsoon. Eastern Visayas is expected to see isolated rain showers, while the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy weather.
Later in the afternoon and evening, the probability of sudden rain showers, lightning, and thunderstorms will rise. Castañeda warned, “We may also experience sudden and brief heavy downpours,” speaking in Filipino.
Despite the wet weather, Pagasa has not issued any gale warnings for the country’s coastal waters. Sea conditions will remain light to moderate, with waves ranging from 0.6 to 1.5 meters.
Tropical Cyclone Updates: Fabian and Podul
Regarding tropical systems, Tropical Depression Fabian has weakened into a low-pressure area and moved out of the Philippine area of responsibility early Saturday morning. This low-pressure area is expected to continue traveling west-northwest over the West Philippine Sea.
On the other hand, Tropical Storm Podul, currently outside the Philippine jurisdiction, maintains its strength with maximum sustained winds reaching 85 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 105 kph. Podul is moving west-northwest at 15 kph and is forecasted to enter the Philippine area of responsibility either Sunday night or Monday morning.
For more news and updates on the southwest monsoon, visit Filipinokami.com.
