MANILA – The southwest monsoon, which is anticipated to hit the island on Thursday, is expected to bring rain to majority of Luzon.
Over Ilocos Region, Apayao, Abra, Benguet, Cagayan, Bataan, Zambales, Occidental Mindoro, and northern Palawan, including the Kalayaan Islands, cloudy skies with rain showers and thunderstorms will persist.
“Flooding is possible during heavy rains,” Benison Estareja of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.
On the other hand, most places in the Visayas will experience partly cloudy to cloudy sky, with isolated rain showers that may last only a few hours.
Rain is possible over Mindanao, and thunderstorms are expected in the afternoon, Estareja said.
According to Estareja, there is currently no gale warning in effect. Over the whole archipelago, light to moderate winds and mild to moderate seas will persist.
Moreover, PAGASA is keeping an eye on a tropical storm known as “Champi” on the worldwide scale. It was last seen 1,970 kilometers east of the northernmost tip of Luzon.
“It is far from the (Philippine) landmass and is at the northeastern boundary of PAR (Philippine Area of Responsibility). We don’t expect it to have a direct effect on the country,” he said.
However, Estareja believes that if the tropical storm continues to travel upward, it may intensify the southwest monsoon.
