Tropical depression maintains strength, heavy rains seen

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical depression Falcon maintained its strength and gained more speed at noon Monday.

The trough of  “Falcon” and an enhanced southwest monsoon will continue to bring scattered to widespread rain showers and thunderstorms over the Bicol region, Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)  and Mimaropa, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

Light to moderate with occasional heavy monsoon rains are expected over Mimaropa, Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula and BARMM region by Tuesday.

Moderate to heavy rains are expected by Wednesday in the Ilocos region, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Zambales, Bataan and Mindoro provinces.

Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Western Visayas and the rest of Central Luzon and Mimaropa will have light to moderate with occasional heavy monsoon rains.

Storm signals may be raised over some parts of Northern Luzon by Tuesday morning.

Falcon was last spotted 1,150 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora, moving north northwest at 25 kilometers per hour.

Landfall is possible over extreme Northern Luzon on Wednesday afternoon or evening.

It maintained a maximum sustained wind speed of 45 kph near the center and gusts of up to 60 kph. /gsg