Signal No. 1 up over Ilocos as ‘Ferdie,‘ monsoon bring rains, winds over Luzon

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression Ferdie is expected to intensify the southwest monsoon, or habagat, even as it continues to move away from the Philippine area of responsibility, state meteorologists said early Monday morning.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) severe weather bulletin at past Monday midnight, Ferdie was having a direct effect on the southwest monsoon.

The cyclone was last spotted 180 kilometers west of Sinait in Ilocos Sur, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and a gustiness reaching up to 70 kph.

While it was moving north-northeastward at a speed of 20 kph, its proximity to the Ilocos Region coastline prompted Pagasa to place the western portions of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan and the northern part of Zambales under a Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal Number 1.

“These areas would experience occasional rains, which may be moderate to heavy, and wind gusty winds also,” weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio said in Filipino.

An orange heavy rainfall warning was also raised in Zambales, which means residents should expect intense rainfall in the area.

Meanwhile, a yellow rainfall warning was placed over Morong, Hermosa, and Dinalupihan in Bataan; Floridablanca, Porac, and Mabalacat in Pampanga; and Mayantoc, San Jose, Capas, and Bamban in Tarlac.

These areas would have moderate to heavy rainfall.

Pagasa’s first severe weather wulletin for Ferdie showed that the tropical depression and the southwest monsoon would bring a fresh breeze to near gale-force winds, aside from monsoon rains over Ilocos Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and even Metro Manila.

It is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Monday night, heading for China’s southeastern portion.  However, Pagasa is also monitoring another cyclone aside from Ferdie and Tropical Storm Jangmi, formerly known as Enteng, which left the PAR on Sunday afternoon.

State meteorologists observed that a low pressure area 2,660 kilometers west of Luzon has developed into a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph.

Pagasa predicted that the said weather disturbance would not enter PAR and instead move westward, nearing western Japanese shores.

Due to the strong winds, Pagasa maintained its gale warning over the country’s northern seas, specifically waters of north and east of Cagayan, Batanes, and Isabela; and the western coastlines of Pangasinan, Zambales, Batangas, Bulacan, Rizal, Metro Manila, Mindoro, and Palawan.

Waves may reach as high as 4.5 meters, Pagasa says, as sea travel remains risky due to rough to very rough seas.

/atm