‘Falcon’ gone, but there’s no respite from rains

Typhoon “Falcon” has left the country but there is no respite from the southwest monsoon, which still dumped rains over parts of Luzon at the weekend.

The typhoon did not hit land but it enhanced the southwest monsoon, prompting the weather bureau to warn of moderate to occasionally heavy rains over Metro Manila, the Ilocos, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Calabarzon and Mimaropa regions.

As of 2 a.m. on Friday, the typhoon was spotted 685 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, or outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR). It was pushing toward Taiwan and China.

With the exit of Falcon, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) lifted heavy rainfall warnings in parts of Luzon.

But light to moderate rains will still fall over Bulacan, Zambales, Batangas, Quezon, Pampanga and Tarlac, Pagasa said.

Occasional rains were expected over the rest of Luzon, as well as over western and central Visayas.

“Residents in these areas are advised to be alert against possible flash floods and landslides,” Pagasa said.

Pagasa is also monitoring another weather disturbance, “Nangka,” though it is not yet expected to enter the PAR.

Also on Friday, Ipo Dam opened two of its gates to release excess water after rains raised the water level to 101.39 meters—beyond the 101-meter spilling level.

A gate of the Bustos Dam was also opened and residents of Bustos, Baliuag, Pulilan and Plaridel in Bulacan were warned of possible floods.

On Friday, the typhoon lashed Japan’s Okinawa island chain as it pushed toward Taiwan and onto China, leaving 23 people injured.

Thousands were evacuated from eastern China in preparation for the typhoon, which had been categorized as a “supertyphoon” by some regional weather bureaus. With a report from AFP