Scattered rains in PH due to ‘habagat’, ITCZ — Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) will bring scattered rains over southern Mindanao while the southwest monsoon or “habagat” will affect most parts of the country, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported Monday.

In its early morning update, Pagasa said Typhoon Kiko, which is now outside the Philippine area of responsibility, will still enhance the “habagat”.

“Bagamat nakalayo na, ito ay humihila pa rin sa habagat or southwest monsoon [na] nakakaapekto sa malaking bahagi ng Luzon,” weather specialist Ariel Rojas said.

(It may now be far from the country, but it will still enhance the southwest monsoon which affects most parts of Luzon.)

The ITCZ, along with the “habagat”, will bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to the Ilocos region, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro region, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Zambales, Bataan, Abra, and Benguet.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to the “habagat” and localized thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, Pagasa raised a gale warning over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan.

“Dahil pa rin sa epekto ng habagat, mataas pa rin po ang alon kaya’t bawal munang pumalaot ‘yung ating kababayang mangingisda at maliliit na sasakyang pandagat sa karagatan ng [nasabing lugar],” Rojas warned.

(Because of the southwest monsoon’s effect, fisherfolk are restricted to venture at sea in the said areas.)

No tropical cyclones are expected in the country in the next two to three days, but a low pressure area may form east of the Visayas and Mindanao, Pagasa said.

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