‘Domeng’ to spare PH but will trigger rains

Tropical depression ‘Domeng’ is expected to spare the Philippines and will not likely make landfall, but it will trigger rains in the next five days, the weather bureau said on Tuesday.

Weather forecaster Nikos Peñaranda said ‘Domeng,’ the fourth weather disturbance to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) this year, will continue to move north-northwest over the Philippine Sea in the next five days.

As of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, ‘Domeng’ was spotted 690 east of Guiuan town in Eastern Samar, with winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 60 kph, moving at a speed of 14 kph.

“We are confident that [it] will not reach the landmass. It will be nearest to the country by June 8, but there are no indications of it crossing or making landfall,” he said in a press conference.

As such, Pagasa is not likely to raise any storm warning signals in the country, Peñaranda said.

‘Domeng’ will be at the nearest point to the Philippines’ landmass on the morning of June 8, Friday, and is expected to reach tropical storm level (87 yo 110 kph) intensity.

It will exit the Philippine area of responsibilty on Sunday morning (June 10), weather forecasters said.

However, the tropical depression is expected to trigger the southwesterly windflow (“habagat”), which will bring moderate to heavy rains over the western sections of the Visayas and Luzon, and Metro Manila this weekend.

This may cause flashfloods and landslides in the said areas, according to Peñaranda.

Landrico Dalida Jr., deputy administrator for operations and services, said the formation of ‘Domeng’ and the onset of ‘habagat’ may cause the weather bureau to declare the start of the rainy season in the next seven days.

Weather forecasters are also closely monitoring water levels at various dams in the country, which, as of Tuesday, remained at normal levels. /ee