MANILA, Philippines — The southwest monsoon, locally known as “habagat,” has further weakened but still affects the western section of Luzon, said Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) weather specialist Benison Estareja on Friday.
“Patuloy pa rin ng paghina ng habagat at nakaka apekto na lang ito sa western section ng Luzon. Kitang kita dito sa ating latest satellite animation yung makapal na ulap dito sa parteng Ilocos region hanggang Palawan,” said Estareja in a public weather forecast.
(The southwest monsoon continues to weaken and it is only affecting the western section of Luzon. You can see here in our latest satellite animation the thick clouds in the Ilocos region up to Palawan.)
The provinces of Romblon, Occidental Mindoro, Zambales, Bataan, and the northern portion of Palawan are most affected by the southwest monsoon. Residents of these areas may expect cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms according to Estareja.
The rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Central Luzon, may experience humid weather conditions but chances of localized thunderstorms are still not ruled out.
For Visayas and Mindanao, partly cloudy skies with isolated rain showers may also prevail due to localized thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, Pagasa is still monitoring the cloud cluster spotted east of the country. Estareja said it continues to move closer to the Philippine landmass but it remained less likely to develop into a tropical cyclone.