‘Isang’ to bring rains over Luzon, Visayas until Wednesday

Tropical Storm “Isang” (international name: Hato) will continue to bring rains over northern Luzon until Wednesday even as it is anticipated to exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Tuesday.

In a press briefing on Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Isang was expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, bringing light to moderate with possibly occasionally heavy rains over Metro Manila, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and the Visayas.

Pagasa forecaster Nikos Peñaranda said rainfall due to Isang went ahead of its center, explaining why it was already raining in extreme northern Luzon even while the storm was still far at sea.

Pagasa estimates moderate to occasionally heavy rain within the 400 kilometer diameter of the tropical storm.

As of 4 p.m., tropical cyclone warning signal No. 2 was hoisted over the Batanes Group of Islands and No. 1 over the Babuyan Group of Islands, as Isang’s center was located 170 km east of Basco, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 97 kph.

Isang is expected to bring winds and rough seas once its center reaches Batanes, and to bring rains in mainland northern Luzon, particularly the western section.