Rains to continue Friday; UST suspends classes

MTSAT ENHANCED-IR Satellite Image 8 a.m., 14 June 2013

MANILA, Philippines — The southwest monsoon affecting Luzon and Western Visayas will continue to bring rains in parts of the country and may trigger flashloods and landslides, the state weather bureau said Friday.

“The provinces of Palawan, Mindoro, Cavite, Batangas, Zambales and Bataan will experience cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rainshowers and thunderstorms which may trigger flashfloods and landslides,” the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be cloudy with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms, it added.

Heavy rains on Thursday that submerged parts of Metro Manila was due to a low pressure area near the West Philippine Sea, Elvie Enriquez of Pagasa told INQUIRER.net Friday, adding that although the LPA was outside the Philippine territory it enhanced the southwest monsoon.

These rains also forced some schools to suspend their classes.

The low pressure area is moving away from the country, Enriquez said.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest to southeast will prevail over Luzon and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough.

Light to moderate winds coming from the southwest to southeast will prevail over Visayas and coming from the northeast to northwest over Mindanao with slight to moderate seas, Pagasa said in its bulletin.

So far, only the University of Santo Tomas suspended Friday classes in all levels.

“Classes in the high school, college, post-graduate levels and office work will remain suspended tomorrow, Friday, June 14, 2013, in order to allow stranded Thomasians to go home for clean-up of affected buildings; and considering a forecast of afternoon rains,” the Office of the Secretary General said.

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