Rainfall advisory lowered to yellow

Rainclouds bring heavy rains to Metro Manila and surrounding cities and provinces Monday as seen from Pagasa’s Project NOAH

MANILA, Philippines – The state weather bureau downgraded its rainfall alert from orange to yellow midday Monday, but moderate to heavy rains spawned by the storm-enhanced southwest monsoon were still seen.

Placed under yellow alert by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration past 11a.m. were Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan and portions of Laguna, Quezon, Cavite and Occidental Mindoro.

“Moderate to at times heavy rainfall are expected over Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga and portions of Laguna, Quezon, Cavite, Batangas and Occidental Mindoro which it persist within three hours,” it said.

Flooding was threatening in low-lying areas.

However, heavy to at times intense rainfall was affecting Zambales and Bataan and most likely to continue for the next three hours.

The weather bureau hoisted orange rainfall alert twice Monday morning.

In Pagasa’s extended weather outlook, the rainy weather will likely continue until Wednesday, Sept. 25.

The southwest monsoon was bringing rains in Luzon and Visayas.

Gilbert Aquino, weather observer from Pagasa, told INQUIRER.net that a storm over the Pacific Ocean located more than a thousand kilometers away was enhancing the southwest monsoon.

Tropical storm “Pabuk” was on its way to Japan but it’s affecting the southwest monsoon, he said, adding that the storm will not likely enter the country.

Typhoon “Odette” (Usagi), the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, was already too far away from the country to affect the weather here, he also said.

No low pressure area was also being monitored by the weather bureau, Aquino said.

“Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon will experience cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms which may trigger flasfloods and landslides,” Pagasa said in its morning forecast.

Meanwhile, Mimaropa and Bicol Region will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms. Northern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail throughout the entire archipelago and the coastal waters will be moderate to rough. With reports  from Kristine Sabillio, Inquirer.net.

Originally posted: 6:59 am | Monday, September 23rd, 2013