Filipino men take a bath along a street in Manila, Philippines. AP
MANILA, Philippines — Expect a “summer-like” weather for the next few days as the tropical storm with the international name “Hagibis” moves farther away from the country, making its way to China.
But even as it barely grazed the Philippine area of responsibility, the tropical storm’s enhancement of the southwest monsoon, locally known as “habagat,” is still anticipated to bring rains over parts of Northern Luzon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Weather forecaster Buddy Javier said that as of Sunday, Pagasa has not monitored the development of a possible low pressure area.
“We will experience a monsoon break when the storm loses its effect on the ‘habagat’,” Javier told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, adding that the break could last at least two days or for as long as there is no weather disturbance that will enhance the southwest monsoon.
The tropical storm is anticipated to lose its effect once it dissipates or makes landfall.
In a monsoon break, skies are generally clear and warm temperatures are experienced with isolated rainshowers, according to Javier.
“It could feel like it’s summer again, but not as hot. This could be felt for a few days,” Javier said.
Metro Manila felt a taste of the monsoon break on Sunday, with the highest temperature of 33.5 degrees Celsius recorded at 1:50 p.m. at the Science Garden.
As of 2 p.m. on Sunday, Tuguegarao City recorded a temperature of 38 degrees; Cabanatuan City, 33.6 degrees; and Cavite, 33.5 degrees.
According to the Pagasa’s forecast for Monday (June 16), the cyclone-enhanced “habagat” is expected to spawn occasional rains in the Batanes group of Islands, the Calayan and Babuyan groups of Islands as well as in the regions of the Ilocos and the Cordillera.
Mindanao will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms as an effect of the intertropical convergence zone while Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be cloudy to partly cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.
With a gale warning still in effect, the weather bureau also cautioned fishing boats and other small sea craft against venturing into the northern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon.
Sea conditions in the areas will be rough to very rough and waves that could reach up to 4.5 meters are expected because of strong to gale force winds associated with the surge of the enhanced “habagat.”
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