MANILA, Philippines — The western part of Luzon is expected to experience a rainy weekend as the southwest monsoon or “habagat” continues to bring clouds bands towards the country, state meteorologists said on Friday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said parts of Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Metro Manila, and the western side of Northern Luzon would be affected by the thick cloud clusters from the southwest monsoon from Friday afternoon to early Saturday.
Some of these areas, however, would also experience fair weather on Saturday, including Metro Manila, as the effects of the “habagat” would be felt more in the western area.
This would result in warm temperatures in most areas, from 25 to 33 degrees Celsius in Metro Manila and Legazpi, and 25 to 35 degrees in Tuguegarao, 25 to 31 degrees in Laoag, 16 to 25 degrees in Baguio City and 22 to 31 degrees in Tagaytay City.
Warm conditions would also prevail in Visayas and Mindanao, save for isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms by afternoon and night.
Temperatures over Tacloban would range from 26 to 32 degrees Celsius, 25 to 32 degrees in Cebu, 26 to 33 degrees in Iloilo, 24 to 33 degrees in Zamboanga, 23 to 33 degrees in Cagayan de Oro City and 25 to 33 degrees in Davao.
‘Champi’ alert
Pagasa also announced that Champi, the weather disturbance outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), has already intensified into a typhoon-category storm.
It is now packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometer per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph.
It was last seen 1,770 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon, and is moving north northwest at 20 kph.
Pagasa does not expect Champi to enter the PAR, but noted that the storm’s movement would depend largely on the southwest monsoon’s condition for the coming week.