Rainy week ahead—Pagasa

MTSAT ENHANCED-IR Satellite Image 3:32 a.m., 06 August 2012

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) anticipates the habagat (southwest monsoon) to continue to bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, as well as gusty winds, to Luzon, including Metro Manila, and the Visayas until Thursday.

Weather forecaster Adzar Aurelio said that while the low pressure area (LPA) spotted east of northern Luzon was still too far from the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), western Luzon should expect heavy rains due to the monsoon.

Aurelio told the Philippine Daily Inquirer the monsoon was expected to affect the country until later this week because of the pull of Tropical Storm “Haikui,” which is headed for southern Japan. “So this weather condition will prevail maybe until Thursday,” he said.

Aurelio said that while no weather disturbance had been detected, the LPA could enter the PAR by Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Typhoon “Gener” (international name Saola), which battered most of western Visayas last week, left at least P9 million in damage to crops and infrastructure in the region, reported the Office of Civil Defense.

The typhoon, which strengthened the monsoon rains and winds that triggered flash floods and huge waves, left three dead in the region. Nine other persons were injured and one remains missing.

Overall, 45 were killed throughout the country.

In Valenzuela City, Metro Manila, two more villagess were added on Sunday to the 18 that had earlier been placed under a state of calamity as flooding continued to plague parts of the city. Reports from Jeannette I. Andrade; Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas; and Nathaniel R. Melican