MANILA, Philippines — Severe Tropical Storm Betty (international name: Mawar), which has exited the Philippine area of responsibility, is still enhancing the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” which will spawn rainfall in many parts of the country on Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.
“Sa ngayon ay umiiral naman ang southwest monsoon o ang hanging habagat dito sa ating bansa, at ito ay ini-enhance pa din ni Bagyong Mawar,” said Pagasa weather specialist Patrick del Mundo.
(The southwest monsoon prevails in the country, and Severe Tropical Storm Mawar is enhancing it.)
Rain forecast
Monsoon rains are expected in Occidental Mindoro, Antique, and northern Palawan, including Cuyo, Calamian, and Kalayaan Islands, due to habagat, said del Mundo.
Del Mundo added that the weather system would also bring overcast skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Calabarzon, Bicol region, and the rest of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) and Western Visayas.
Fair weather with partly cloudy to cloudy skies and isolated rain showers or thunderstorms are expected in the rest of the country, Pagasa reported.
Flash floods and landslides are possible, Pagasa warned.
As of 3:00 a.m., Friday, Pagasa said Betty was spotted some 945 kilometers northeast of extreme Northern Luzon, packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 145 kph.
Rough seas alert
A gale warning is in effect on the northern coast of Ilocos Norte, Batanes, and Cagayan, including the Babuyan Islands and Isabela, due to rough to very rough seas with 2.8 to 4.5 meter-high waves.